Prospering in Difficult Times

So much of my work as a coach these days focuses on the challenge of living in tough economic times. Last September, I wrote about The Detroit Perspective, which spoke of living in Michigan during a recession. Since I wrote that post, the entire country (and world for that matter) has slipped into a recession.

Six months later, I find that people feel the pressures of layoffs and declining portfolios much more acutely. However, many are finding opportunity in these down times to make a change, learn new things, or re-connect with people or passions.

Here is a recent article I wrote about Leading in Difficult Times and published in Corp! magazine. May you continue to lead and prosper in your own life.

Are You in the "Gig" Economy?

A few weeks ago, I heard a compelling story on NPR about the emerging "Gig Economy." The guest was Tina Brown, Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beast blog, and she was speaking about her January 12 blog post, The Gig Economy, and the related buzz it had created.

Are you in the "Gig Economy?" In a nutshell, it means engaging in multiple services or products as a means of earning money, usually for yourself or with a few partners. Personally, I am a life coach, career transition coach, branding/marketing consultant, writer, and a fledgling jewelry designer. And you know what, I love it!

Gone for many are the days of working for "the man" in a big company. We may come to the gig life from many paths: layoff, the desire to work part-time while raising a family, or the burning, deeply personal desire to create value in the world on our own terms. I will be blogging in the coming weeks about thriving in the Gig Economy. What's your gig?

Bringing Purpose Back Into Your Life

"And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself -- Well...how did I get here?"

-- Talking Heads

To me, living a joyful life is about knowing what your life purpose is, and then building your day-to-day life around it. Your life purpose is as unique as your fingerprints. Mother Teresa was called to serve God and the poor, and Mr. Blackwell was called to critique the clothing of Regis Philbin and Marg Helgenberger. However noble, or lofty, or grand, your life purpose is that one special thing that makes your heart sing.

Sometimes, we lose track of our life purpose. We get "down into the weeds" of daily living -- dentist appointments, karate lessons, and status report updates. If you're like me, a feeling of disquiet or disillusionment may build inside for a span of a few months or years, until suddenly you stop dead in your tracks and realize, in the words of David Byrne, "Am I right? Am I wrong? My God! What have I done!"

Perhaps you've misplaced your life purpose, or are living one someone else created for you, or you have never landed on one in the first place. Whatever the reason, you can re-focus on your life purpose. "Great," you might ask yourself, "how do I even know what it is?"

Try asking yourself a couple of questions to see if your life purpose emerges:

1. If you had only one week to live, what would you do?
2. Think of a time in your life when you felt pure bliss. What was present in your life at that time? Try to be as specific as possible.
3. A friend is preparing to write your eulogy -- what would you like them to say was your greatest contribution to the world?

And yes, you do get to have your very own life purpose.