Blog
In my Freestyle Careers blog I write about things that matter to my clients: reinventing their career, designing a fulfilling life, living their values, successful career change strategies, and maintaining momentum and positivity through the transition. If you like my ideas and find this content helpful, you might be interested in my career change services, which are available worldwide.
Only the latest 20 articles are displayed on this page so for earlier blog posts, go to the earliest listing (bottom right) and click back from there….
You’ve reached a turning point and know you need to make changes to how you live and work, but where to start? First, prepare the ground with these 5 mindset shifts. These will take the pressure off and help you connect with what you really need and want for a more fulfilling life. Choose you!
Midlife can be a time of turbulence, change - and great opportunities! This is the story of my own 3 midlife career pivots - and how they brought me to exactly the place I need to be. Inspired by Eleanor Mills’ podcast and work around midlife career change, this article explores how career pivots can work for you.
It's not your CV! If you're looking for greater fulfilment in your career, for a role that lights you up and gives you a real sense of purpose, you need to step back and ask a different question. Change 'What can I do?' to 'What do I really want to do - and why?' Here are three steps towards a role and an organisation that are a much, much better fit!
Like starting a new year, September has the same energy and is a great time to reset your career. When you know what's working for you (or not) in your current work, it's so much easier to make changes for greater fulfilment. Here are 4 prompts to get you thinking - so you can get more of what you really want and need at work.
When retirement is looming, or you’re selling your business, but you’re definitely not ready to put your feet up yet, how can you create the final and most rewarding chapter of your career? In The Legacy Chapter I suggest ways you can combine your expertise with your purpose and passion - and make a lasting impact while also enjoying a fulfilling life. Get ready for the best phase of your life yet!
Career regrets can actually be a great source of information about where you can head for a more fulfilling career. They are also a brilliant way of understanding what success looks like to you, rather than the version we may have inherited from parents, friends or society in general. In this article, I suggest three ways you can use any regrets to check out what’s behind them - and how you can use them to make the move you’re longing for.
When you’re launching a new career after a change of direction, here’s how you can set yourself up for success. Be real, self-aware, and mark the transition - this is a new chapter and in part, a new identity. Here’s what you can let go of and what you can consciously choose from this exciting new start.
When you want to future-proof your career, don’t let fear hold you back. You can build a career cushion while you’re still safely employed, but in a way that’s perfect for you! In this article, I suggest ways you can develop a plan B that also takes you in a direction that’s better for you - build resilience, security, fulfilment and hope into your career planning.
When you’re stuck in a frustrating job but can’t escape your fears about creating anything better, you might be trapped by your gremlins. These limiting beliefs hold you back and stop you from changing direction towards a much more fulfilling career. In this article I suggest common career change gremlins and how I help my clients escape their hold and start believing in their career change. You can too!
When you’re stuck in the wrong job and can’t see new options, change can seem an impossible dream. But instead of finding it overwhelming or out of reach, here are ways you can bring about the internal shifts necessary to make changes in your work life a possibility - and then reality! These clients are now doing work that lights them up - so can you.
Perfectionism can keep you stuck in a spiral of paralysis and procrastination, doubting whether you can ever find the perfect job - or be good enough to get it! Instead of struggling with the desire for perfection, try finding your best direction, and then just start - progress over perfection works every time. Here’s how..
Hidden cognitive biases may be keeping you stuck in the wrong work. When you recognise these fleeting thoughts or beliefs, you can write a much more fulfilling next chapter to your career. Here’s how!
When life gives you lemons - make lemonade! Even better, work out what you really need and want to thrive in the next phase of your life, and start creating something wonderful. Whether it's after a divorce, bereavement, redundancy, a big birthday or a health scare, each of these is a nudge to choosing what comes next.
We all need a bit of luck right? But how about if you can work on creating more luck for yourself - especially when you’re trying to explore or create a new career? Yes, in this article I show how luck helped me make an important career transition, and what you can do to bring luck firmly into your corner!
How can you set yourself up for success when exploring a new career? These three vital ingredients will ensure your career change stands a chance to take root and flourish: a positive and open mindset, self-awareness, and curiosity. Here’s how you can prepare the ground for making the changes you really need to feel happy and fulfilled at work.
Are you close to burnout? When you start to feel your energy draining away and feel out of step with the work you do, it’s time to take action. It’s never too late for a reset, and to create a better career that suits who you are today -one that offers the rewards you really value. Find out how to spot the signs of burnout and what to do next!
When you’re stuck in a job you’ve outgrown, that’s draining and depressing you, it’s not easy to find the energy to make the changes you need. Here are some common beliefs that keep you stuck - and how to reframe them to free the clarity and energy to break free and go after the fulfilment you deserve!
What is it that drives a change in career direction? When you know WHY a new direction is perfect for you, you’ll also find the belief and energy to make it happen. Try these 5 questions to help you identify that spark of inspiration to make a revitalising new start.
What do you need to be your best and do your best work? When you understand the conditions you need to thrive in your career, you can start making some important changes. When you belong and can be yourself, you are going to flourish - and everyone will benefit. Here’s how to identify what you need to be your best at work.
Do you find it impossible to sell yourself at interview? You might be going for the wrong jobs or playing the wrong part! Instead, get clear on your values, purpose or strengths and connect on a much deeper level. When you use your WHY in your job search and interview, you’ll both recognise a shared mission, values and therefore how good a fit you are for the role! No more play-acting - be yourself and get the job you really want.
When you feel desperate to leave your current work but cannot find what it takes to act, you know that the status quo always wins. So here are 3 things you can do to gain the clarity you need to understand what’s really going on - and how to take step one, step two, step three.. until you have the momentum to make the career changes you really want.
When you’re feeling restless, bored, unhappy or disenchanted at work, how do you make the changes you need? In this article I suggest 3 great questions to start uncovering what’s really missing and what you can do to change things for the better. When you’re stuck with a career decision, this will help you understand your options for a quick fix or a bigger leap.
What do you really need in order to create yourself a new career? It’s much more than a new CV! When you know what success looks like to you, what energises and inspires you, what matters most and what feels like meaningful work to you, choosing a new line of work will be so much easier. After 10 years working with career changers here are my 10 ingredients that will ensure you move towards a career that works for you.
How can knowing your personality type help you choose a better career? There are clear links between individual personality and what makes a fulfilling career. But knowing your ‘type’ is not enough - you also need clarity on the kind of life you want, what you value most, and what meaningful work looks like to you before you can find a career that finally inspires you.
When you feel that you’ve already done your best work in your current career and yearn for something more fulfilling, how can you get beyond the fear that there’s nothing else you can do? Those feelings of being pigeonholed - whether as an accountant, a CEO, a media executive, a teacher - can keep you trapped and unable to act. So here’s how you can take a fresh view, open up new possibilities, and make a choice for something new!
Talk of ‘The Great Resignation’ is everywhere, but don’t think that’s your only option if you’ve fallen out of love with your career. Instead, consider why you need a change and redesign your career to meet those needs. Instead of sleep-walking into the next 20 years, make a positive choice for more fulfilling work.
If the idea of retirement leaves you with a sense of dread, now’s the time to consider what you really want for this phase of your life. While many of us think about our financial situation, very few really explore deeper needs that will ensure fulfilment and happiness - so instead of empty days, you’ll have purpose, engagement and excitement. Here’s how to start designing the rest of your life.
In part two of this article I suggest how you can put your strengths into daily action to create the life you really want. Instead of banging your head against a brick wall, use your natural talents and the skills you love using to solve problems, create a more fulfilling life or open up new careers that are totally you.
When you use your strengths to create change in your life, it all comes so much easier. Use your best talents, character traits and specific skills to work through problems or uncover new career options and you are on the right track for greater fulfilment. This two-part article shows how you can first understand what your strengths are, and then deploy them to create a more fulfilling and authentic life.
When you’ve run out of energy, motivation, and belief in your current career, how can you regain a sense of choice and move towards more fulfilling work? When you believe you have a choice and have clarity about what you really want and need to feel inspired again in your work, you can then start making the changes you need. Here’s how to get started..