👋 Welcome, Life Architects!

🤔 Introduction: Maybe it’s time to pivot…

🔍 Vision and Purpose: What does fulfillment look like to me?

🏆 Exploration and Discovery: Where should I go to research new opportunities?

🤞 Identify the Right Opportunities: How can I determine if this the right path for me?

💭 Outro: Words of encouragement for you as you start your journey

Maybe it’s time to pivot…

Is this you when people ask you how you feel about your job or career? 👇️ 

Do you drown your sorrows in coffee every morning, asking yourself how did you end up here? Are you plagued with thoughts about a boss who doesn’t respect you and no visible career advancement within miles?

If so, it’s time for a change. It’s time to stop putting your feelings on the back burner and be honest with yourself and your needs. As a working professional, it’s easy to fall into a rut, and accept a life that feels more like a routine than a true reflection of your passions and potential. Over time, the demands of work, responsibilities, and financial commitments can create a sense of inertia, making it difficult to imagine a different path.

However, it's important to recognize that the skills and experiences you've gained along the way aren't fixed—they're valuable assets that can serve as stepping stones toward a more fulfilling future. Shifting gears may require courage and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone, but it's entirely possible to create a life you love by rediscovering your interests, embracing new opportunities, and aligning your work with your core values. The journey to reinvention isn't always linear, but with some soul-searching, traditional research, and a few unorthodox methods, you can uncover the right road(s) to take.

The good news is, I’ve created this mini starter guide to help you design the right life for you. You’ll learn a few new tips, some steps to take, and a couple resources to put in your toolkit.

If you have any questions or comments along the way, don’t hesitate to reach out!

~ Janelle

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

-Confucius

What does fulfillment mean to you?

Fulfillment means different things to different people. If you’re unable to find or define fulfillment for yourself, there could be a few reasons why. One of the primary reasons is a disconnect often stems from a misalignment between personal values and professional goals. At the heart of a fulfilling career is the harmony between what drives you personally and what you strive to achieve professionally.

Your personal values are the guiding principles that shape your decisions, like creativity, freedom, or integrity. These values are unique to you and often define what brings meaning to your life. For instance, if creativity is a core value, a role with repetitive tasks and little room for innovation might leave you feeling unfulfilled. Similarly, if freedom is a top priority, a rigid 9-to-5 schedule may clash with your desire for flexibility.

To align your career with your values, start by identifying what truly matters to you. Reflect on moments when you felt the most alive and purposeful. Then, consider your professional goals—whether it’s transitioning into a new industry, advancing to leadership, or pursuing work that aligns with a specific cause. Look for opportunities where these two areas overlap. For example, if connection is important to you, roles in team building or mentorship could be a perfect fit.

Finding alignment isn’t just about choosing the right role—it’s also about creating an environment where you can thrive. This might mean seeking companies with a mission that matches your passion or pursuing skills that open doors to more meaningful work. Over time, as your goals evolve, it’s important to reassess and ensure your values remain at the forefront of your decisions.

When your values and goals are in sync, work becomes more than just a paycheck—it becomes a source of joy and purpose. Take the time to reflect on your values, explore the career possibilities that excite you, and start designing a professional path that truly aligns with who you are.

Activity Alert: Create a list of your top 3 career priorities (e.g., flexibility, creativity, impact).

Where can I go to find new opportunities?

So… you’re ready for a new start. That’s great! Now you need to figure out where to look for new opportunities. For the sake of context, let’s categorize opportunities under one of these three areas: embarking on a new career, starting a business, and freelancing to examine specific resources to help you find your ideal life.

Career 

Home: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

The first step is to dedicate time to research different careers to see what’s out there. You can do this by simply going to the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It’s the best way to get early insight into job market trends, salary expectations, and the qualifications necessary for various professions, which can guide you in making smart decisions about your next move.

At this stage, let’s simply brainstorm. Don’t worry about committing to any one field, industry, or occupation. Just keep a list of jobs that sound interesting to you and keep a few notes on each one. In the next section, we’ll talk about aligning your interests with your values.

Business 

Starting a Business | Entrepreneur

Starting a business is a viable option if you’re tired of being an employee. Perhaps you’re ready to set up your own shingle and let the world know you’re in business for yourself. If you’ve been daydreaming about that life, maybe it’s worth exploring.

The website Entrepreneur is one of the best sources for getting information on how to start a business - everything from crafting a business plan to managing employees. If you’ve been mulling around different ideas, you’ll find no shortage of inspiration under the Side Hustles and Business Ideas articles.

Freelancing 

Freelancer 101 | Freelancers Union

According to Investopedia, a freelancer is defined as “an individual who earns money on a per-job basis, usually for short-term work as an independent contractor.” While freelancers don’t typically get benefits or employer provided healthcare, the freedom of picking and choosing contracts (who, where, and when you work) might out weight those aspects if the contracts are lucrative enough. If you’re interested in learning more about pursuing the freelancer path, The Freelancer’s Union has a great resources guide entitled Everything You Wanted to Know About Freelancing (But Were Too Afraid to Ask).

Remember: At this stage, the goal is to simply see what’s out there and might resonate with you on a deeper level. If you’re thinking of a career change, keep in mind, an occupation may seem enticing based certain factors or outlook, but whether it’s the right fit for you is a whole ‘nother conversation (and we’ll get to that next).

How can I choose a path that’s right for me?

Nothing is worse than pursuing a field that doesn’t feel right - one that doesn’t align with your values, doesn’t give you fulfillment, and leaves you drained emotionally, physically, and financially. There are steps you can take, however, to minimize the likelihood of this happening. The key is to learn as much as you can by doing (hands-on experience) or gaining real-world exposure to your job, career, or area of interest.

Below are 3 types of learning methods you can leverage to help you achieve this:

1. Observational: Observational learning gives you the opportunity to see firsthand how professionals in their desired career fields work. In the Life Architect program, this could involve shadowing someone during their workday—whether it’s a graphic designer sketching ideas, a business leader strategizing with their team, or a nonprofit coordinator planning an event. By observing their tasks, challenges, and decision-making processes, you’ll gain valuable insights into the realities of a particular career.

2. Experiential: Experiential learning is all about diving in and doing. In the Life Architect program, this could involve taking on a small task, such as designing a flyer, or drafting a blog post. These hands-on activities allow you to test and try out your skills and build confidence in a real-world context.

3. Creative/Mixed: Creative learning combines elements of observation and hands-on experience with a flexible and innovative approach. For example, you might attend a personalized Zoom presentation where a professional explains their role and answers questions, or they give you the chance to participate in a small task working alongside them, or quite possibly both. The blended approach ensures you’re able to explore your interests from multiple perspectives.

Why This Method Works

Why does this method work? The answer is simple: You’re able to dip your toes in and test the waters before fully committing yourself to a job, career, or even running a business. And that’s what makes the Life Architect program so awesome. It allows you to gain access to people who are already doing what you have an interest in. You get the opportunity to sit down with a working professional, business owner, or tradesperson and ask specific questions, especially important ones like: How do I get the right skills for this job? With my background, would it be hard to pivot to this industry? If you were me, and you had an interest in this career, what would you advise?

These are the critical questions you don’t get to ask when you’re in the middle of reading a book about how to become a baker or scanning a news article.

Take Charge and Design Your Life

I know how it feels to be at a crossroads, uncertain of which direction to take—whether it’s figuring out your next career move, starting a business, or diving into freelancing. Life has a way of changing things, sometimes in unexpected ways. Maybe you started a career with a certain dream in mind, only to find it no longer excites you, or maybe you’re feeling stuck and unsure of what your next step should be. I’ve seen people who once thought they wanted a traditional job realize they thrive in the flexibility of freelancing, and I’ve worked with others who felt pulled toward entrepreneurship, even though they never saw themselves as business owners. Our wants and desires evolve as we do, and that’s completely okay.

What I want you to know is that it’s normal for your path to shift. Sometimes life’s twists and turns can leave us questioning where we belong, but those changes can also be the very things that lead us to our truest, most fulfilling purpose. You don’t have to have it all figured out right now. Whether you’re exploring a new career, growing a side hustle, or transitioning into a different phase of your work life, I’m here to guide you through it with care and understanding. Together, we can take the time to explore what truly lights you up and develop a strategy that feels aligned with who you are and where you want to go.

As a coach, my goal is to help you gain clarity, confidence, and a clear path forward—no matter where you are in your journey. I’m here to support you through the tough decisions and the moments of doubt, and to help you create a plan that works for you. You don’t have to face these questions alone. With patience, guidance, and a bit of exploration, you can design a life and career that brings you fulfillment and joy. Let’s work together to make sure the next chapter is the one you’ve always dreamed of.

See you next time,

Janelle