9 Bold Steps to your Ultimate Career Lifestyle

Attending Talent Revolution's thinkfest seminar Ultimate Career Lifestyle (UCL) was catalytic in the way it made me look at my past, present & future. I am an individual who has landed my UCL, who is living my UCL and who wants you to achieve your UCL. Caution: THIS BLOG IS NOT FOR SISSIES!

There. We've established your moxie, inner-strength, your gahoonies. Self-awareness isn't always warm & fuzzy. And it's rarely easy. Amanda Hite's workshop challenged me. I aim to pay that forward by drilling down some of hers/my simple steps. I want you to live the blissful balance of career and your passions.

STEP #1 Visualize
Kindly set aside all judgment, pretense, hurdles, negativity, guilt, or guises; you won't need that crap. Now you will start at your ultimate destination and work back from there. Amanda may a key point that everything we tackled that workshop day was based on the fact that you are already LIVING your Ultimate Lifestyle professionally and personally.

Take a moment to visualize what the looks, smells, sounds, and tastes like. Ask your young self what you wanted to be when you grew up. Now make a snap shot of it. For reference, mine has me working for myself surrounded by the ones I love and offers me the opportunity to travel this fine planet. Got your snapshot? Take your time....I'll be right here.


Step 2 Admit It
The step is all about finding YOU within you. Sit in a quiet space, alone with your thoughts and come up with the three key talents that are wholly YOU. Listen to THIS if you need a soundtrack to motivate you. This is the fun part where you can honestly say...I am good at sitting poolside, with a laptop and a fruity rum drink. If you get stumped here, bring in a reinforcement. Ask a friend, family member, mentor, or ask me even, "What are my standout skills?" But remember, only you have the answer.

I am skilled at intuitively knowing people. I have a creative eye and mind. I can capture people, (even if I have to whip out my Lasso, right Looking Glass Lane friends?)


Step 3 Give it a Name
Take those key skills and give them a name. How cool is it that you are now creating a job title/description of a career lifestyle for the future you which technically you are now. Did I lose you? Anyway... Think of a hybrid career. This is not a vanilla exercise so shake up your thinking.

For reference, I am Leigh, a social-write-ographer! (photographer, writer, and social networker)


Step 4 Celebrate your success.
Reward is everything in my book. So take a moment, grab a cold one, jump up and down if you must and tell yourself..."Great job. You are living your UCL. You are happy & successful!" OK, now put down the beverage and let's get back business.


Step 5 Be YOU.
This is a difficult one. So focus. Now I want you to dig for a bit in self examination. Are you a POSER? Or are you the real deal. If you have fashioned your career lifestyle with others (your parents, spouse, your mentor) it'll never really be yours. You'll just be posing and success never follows posers. Success is drawn to bravery and truth. Let me give you an example here. Many years back I was a Sales & Marketing Manager for a plastics company and sold fiber-reinforced foam cores to rocket scientists. (birds chirping...silence) I did it for the salary, the travel, the private plane. I didn't do it for ME. So let's be the real deal.


Step 6 Map it out.
From your vantage point where you are living that perfect lifestyle the one that affords you time with family, flexible work hours, a burning passion, think about the steps you took to get there. What did you need to do to make it happen. For reference, I had to learn how to take photos daily. I had to start a company, I had to market my self and my photography. So write down five steps on the path to your UCL and put them in order. NOW, you have a frame work to support you. Well done.


Step 7 Share your dream.
Pull in a candid, supportive person with whom you will share your plan. Warning: Choose this person wisely as you want positive feedback, solutions and collaboration to make your dream a reality. Amanda Hite, infectious with spirit and vision was this person for me. She helped me knock this outta the park. She still does. Regularly. Don't let your plan be squashed by the negativity of others. This is your dream. Covet it, tweak it, but don't lose it.

I know literally hundreds of professionals who would be willing to be a positive, thoughtful sounding board as UCL coaches if you like. They are the folks here at TR. Leave me a message in here (or um, Twitter at @fleurdeleigh) and I'll help you out. Join this community of positive go-getters and you'll see what I mean.


Step 8 Pay it Forward.
Pass these steps on to another because I genuinely believe that someone out there is waiting for this. Forward this link. Someone you know deserves professional and personal success. Let's introduce them to their future!


Step 9 Reel in your future.



Leigh Caraccioli
photographer
writer
social networker