To Find Your Meaningful Work, Look Under Your Umbrella

I was going through the last box from our move into our home when I came upon a folder from a turning point in my career path.

In a very public way, I had recently realized just how far behind and off track I felt professionally. (You can read the full story here.)  I used the embarrassment I felt to fuel the kind of soul-searching and reflection that would actually help me move forward.

How, you ask? I made a list of what's "under my umbrella"—all words that describe things that light me up. 

Some are things I liked to do at the time (facilitating, making meaning, integrating head & heart); some are things I valued as important (connection, wholeness, growth); some are people I loved to connect with (students, nonprofit workers, young professionals); and some are more concrete (professional development books, retreats, goals).

After a week of adding to this list, I zoomed out and connected the dots of the themes that ran throughout: one on one conversations, reflection, purpose, and helping individuals grow. I used this information to explore potential career paths that revolved around those themes—like counseling, college advising, and professional coaching.

When I wrote the list, the words felt random and the connections felt foggy and mysterious.

When I look at it now, I see my soul work is embedded in this list. My personal mission is embedded in this list. My values are there. And the heart of what Penney Leadership is today shines through there, too.

The umbrella is me, and all of the words under it are contained within me. These are the things that I cannot help but be if I am being myself.

What's under your umbrella? Here's a free, downloadable workbook to capture your words and see what happens when you connect the dots. It's all in there—it's just a matter of bringing it out onto the page where you can reflect on it, make meaning from it, and act on it.

It might seem foggy at first, but with a little attention and intention, soon you'll look back at your list and see yourself clearly.