One small thing
One small thing
Is you career everything that you dreamt it would be?
Dr Lucinda Homer Coaching
One small thing
The newsletter for busy people
Hello there,
I have a question for you.
Is your career everything that you dreamt it would be?
Most of us will have times where we wonder what life would be like if we had chosen a different path.
In December 1992 my boss stood at the bottom of the stairs shouting at me, and then disappeared onto the ward. I came through the doors moments later and everyone stared at me. The ward sister whispered "Are you alright?" I nodded, but she and I both knew that I didn't mean it.
Being bullied at work was not how I had imagined my dream job would be. I had been been qualified as a doctor for less than a year and was already considering leaving to do something else. That was the first time that I nearly left my job. There were other times too, but I stayed as an NHS doctor for another 24 years.
I learnt a lot from my experience of being bullied as a young doctor, particularly how to stand up for myself and others. That was an invaluable skill as I progressed in my career.
Of course, it was not all bad and there were many times when I loved my job. But eventually the dream job became the thing that I wanted to leave most of all. In fact, the dream became the leaving. I just didn't know how I could do it.
I started small and added in additional roles to my main job. I loved teaching and medical education so I developed that side of my career. I worked harder and harder to be happy. The downside was that it was a one way ticket to burnout. By my 40s, I was exhausted, frustrated, disillusioned, bored, and very stuck. I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted to do.
I decided to try something new and looked for ways to earn an income in addition to my main job. I learnt very quickly that making and selling crafts was not going to work for me and I looked for a more viable option.
After I gained a private pilot's licence, the seed of an idea began to grow, and I decided to do the extra training to become an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). Initially, I did this new role one afternoon a week, because that was all I had the time and energy for.
My NHS job had started to feel like it was out of my control. The system was in charge, and I was increasingly working outside my values . It was becoming stressful to fit into a system, that made me feel like I was the problem and in need of fixing.
My new portfolio career served me well for these reasons:
It reinvigorated my interest in my medical career and expanded my horizons.
It enabled me to think outside my fixed box.
I learnt new skills. I had never set up or run a business before.
It gave me back some control. I could choose when, how and with whom I worked. I had no idea how important that one afternoon, of being my own boss, was for me and my wellbeing.
It helped me to stay in my main job for longer. I was not ready to make a drastic career change at the time. A major change felt daunting and scary, but my portfolio career felt manageable and within my control.
Having stepped out of my comfort zone once, it did not seem as daunting when did it a second time and added in coaching to my portfolio career.
I have highlighted some of the important words that stood out for me. Some of them may resonate with you.
Midlife is a time of great change in many areas of life, and your career can start to feel like something you must endure until you can retire. The trouble with that is you may not wish to stop working completely when you get to your 50s and 60s. But you may not want to work at the same intensity or in the same job. My own view is that I am coming into my prime in so many ways and I love having a career.
In this article in Forbes, over 50% of workers say that their professional ambition is not tied to being part of a company. Portfolio careers are becoming increasingly common. It can be helpful to think of a portfolio career as changing how you work and not necessarily what you do, for example, I am still a doctor but work in a different way and specialty. Developing a new strand to your career can put you back in charge, and regaining some control over your working environment can make a massive difference to your wellbeing.
You have loads of valuable experience and so many skills that you can offer. It just takes a bit of time and space to explore what else you may like to do. A portfolio career can be within your current role or something separate outside it. It can be anything from mentoring, teaching, or joining a board, to training as a yoga instructor or anywhere your imagination takes you.
What can you do if you want to develop a portfolio career?
There will be more about that in my next newsletter.
Something else to read...
"Work ‘wellness’ programmes don’t make employees happier - but I know what does"
Prefer audio? Then check this out...
"Normal women are underpaid"
Philippa Gregory
"Whether you are on the Board or in the kitchen, a medieval peasant or modern day medic, a Victorian street-sweeper or eighteenth century hand-spinner - if you are a woman, there’s every chance you are underpaid. So why is that? Explanations vary across the centuries from women's lack of upper-body strength to the demands of motherhood and patriarchal oppression, but one thing is certain - the pay gap never closes."
Coaching Prompt
"What are your transferrable skills?"
Take a pen and piece of paper and list all of your skills. If you are struggling to think of any, running a home takes organisation, planning, communication and problem solving (just for starters). When you see your skills, you may get an idea of what else you might like and be more than capable of doing.
3 songs long
I chose 3 songs for the playlist because it lasts for 10 minutes (ish). That 10 minutes is the perfect length of time for you to either listen, relax, do an exercise snack, walk round the block, or do anything you fancy to music (go wild with your imagination). You can listen to my playlist or make one of your own.
That's it for this week. I would love to know if you have a portfolio career and what you do.
Love from,
Lucinda x
P.S.
What else?
To find out more about working with me, book a no obligation call. There is no charge, just an exchange of our time. I would love to hear from you. Book here.
I have an online course that can help you with balance. You can find out more here: "Getting a balanced life."
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