We Are Bigger Than Our Jobs!

By Natalie Wittmann
In my role as an executive and life coach, clients are often seeking help with finding meaning for themselves that is bigger than their work identity, especially when their work identity is leaving them feeling less than fulfilled.  Transitioning to the “what’s next” after retirement also invites the big questions about who am I, bigger-than-my-career.  This focus on purpose and meaning is why I was especially drawn to Christina Wallace’s new book: The Portfolio Life, after listening to her interviewed on Dan Harris’s 10% Happier podcast. ​

Christina Wallace is Senior Lecturer of entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School and an active angel investor.  Early in her book, Wallace quotes Poet Maggie Smith:
“You will have many lives within this one life.  Some may end badly.  But every place you’ve ever been, every person you’ve loved or let love you, every life you’ve lived already adds up to who you are.  You make yourself as you go. Keep moving.” 
I love this quote!  It is a beautiful reminder that we are bigger and more uniquely layered than we sometimes remember, and we are thankfully, works in progress.   
Wallace describes a portfolio life as a model to make sense of how you fit work and all the other things that matter to you into the one life that you live.  It includes your relationships, your health, your hobbies and your rest - she calls it “Pro-rest Anti-Hustle.” Also, she suggests we think of ourselves as a Venn Diagram - multiple parts that overlap in our unique sweet spot.   
The Portfolio Life is built on three tenets:
1. You are more than any one role or opportunity
2. Diversification will help you navigate change and mitigate uncertainty
3. When (not if) your needs change, you can and should re-balance
Wallace says that the first step is to see yourself beyond your job.   To do that, I offer two of her specific ideas.  First though - listen to her podcast (or her entire book)! 
1. Spend some time doing personal reflection.
Ask yourself, What do I do now?  What do I love about what I do now?  What would I miss if I couldn’t do it anymore?  What else have I done in all my previous jobs and what were the highlights for me in those roles?  What are my interests and hobbies? What gives me energy?  What else am I known for? 
2. Conduct multiple coffee chats with friends and colleagues to gain the wisdom of an external perspective. 
This step is about gathering information and processing it so you are aware of the many possibilities available to you. The goal is to spot trends and gather information to form a more complete picture of yourself.  
Ask:  
● When have you seen me the happiest?  
● What do you come to me for? 
● Where do I stand out in relation to my peers?
I have recently started using this reflection exercise with some of my coaching clients and have found it’s a great addition to the other values identification work we do early on, focused on “Identity.”   One client recently expressed the relief and freedom she felt when she rediscovered what really was important to her—outside of the dominant cultural message that the only thing you should be truly ambitious about is your work.  Her portfolio expanded to include her family, friends and health—which meant her time also was reallocated to include this more holistic portfolio. 
What do you choose to be in your portfolio for this chapter of your life?  “You make yourself as you go.  Keep moving!” 
Interested in support to expand your life portfolio? Crothers Consulting can help you find more meaning through our coaching programs. Please contact Isabelle Brennan for further information.