<<<Back to Table of Contents
One year ago I finalized my divorce. I was married to my husband for 25 years. While I know this was the right thing to do and part of me is hopeful about what’s next, I’m having a really difficult time with the transition. Frankly, I feel lost. My identity was so tied to my marriage and family, now I’m asking: Who am I? What’s important to me? What do I really want from this next phase of my life? Can you offer any suggestions to help me get back on track? – Juliana, 47
First, Juliana, kudos for hitting the pause button, reaching out and asking for help and taking time to acknowledge this important transition.
Whether you’ve just had a baby, left a long-time job, are in the middle of a career change, are recovering from an illness, have recently become an empty-nester or you just finalized a divorce, significant life transitions leave most of us asking these big questions.
Depending on where you are on your self-discovery journey, this process may be about simply reconnecting with who you are. Or, this time may represent a deeper awakening to find and reclaim your sense of self. And to figure out – for the first time – who you really are and what you value.
You have an amazing internal “GPS guidance system.” I believe you already have the answers to your questions within you. Even if they haven’t surfaced, they’re present on a subconscious level. Your job now is to get quiet and create opportunities for stillness in your life to connect with this deep inner wisdom.
This month, carve out at least an hour to answer the following guided journaling questions in longhand – this utilizes the left and right hemispheres of your brain – from my book The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. (I’ll forewarn you, these questions are not easy. If you get stuck, take a break and come back to them later. And above all, be gentle with yourself. )
I highly recommend you complete this exercise away from home: a quiet coffee shop, park or natural setting would be an ideal environment. And, make sure you take time to share your answers with someone who supports and values you: a trusted mentor, a coach, a therapist, a minister or a close friend.
You can find additional free career exploration exercises for people in transition when you visit our Inspiration Café at CareerStrategists.net.
What gifts do I want to share with others?
What is my heart’s greatest desire?
What values are most important to me?
Imagine yourself at the end of your life, filled with regret, with a painful sense of having not lived the life you wanted to live. What is it that you most regret not doing?
If you wrote a slogan for your philosophy of life, what would it be?
Is there anything unfinished in your life – personally or professionally – that you’re willing to walk away from forever?
What do you envision your life to be like when you’re 70?
* Adapted in part from How to Find the Work You Love, by Laurence G. Boldt.
UPCOMING EVENT
Jan. 21st | 7:30-8:30 PM Learn to slow down and live more intentionally in 2010: register for a FREE Live Inside Out class via phone with Renee Trudeau: LiveInside-Out.com. The January theme is Managing Your Energy and Saying No!
Jan. 29th | 9-11:30 am The Career Strategy Workshop: Find a Fit, Create a Plan, Love Your Work for men and women in career transition. Learn more: CareerStrategists.net.
Reneé Peterson Trudeau Bio
Renée Peterson Trudeau is a nationally recognized entrepreneur, author, coach and president of Career Strategists. Trudeau’s work has been featured in US News and World Report, Working Mother, Yogi Times, Family Circle and AARP and she is a regular speaker for Fortune 500 companies and national organizations. Trudeau is the author of the award-winning The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. Thousands of women around the world are joining and becoming trained to lead self-renewal groups based on the Guide, as a way to enhance balance and well being in their lives. Learn more: ReneeTrudeau.com and CareerStrategists.net.