Reader Yvana Wong drops me a line:

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Like you, I also took a year to figure out who I was outside of work. 

Working in prestigious companies one after another felt like it was all of who I am. Which, I don't have to tell you, didn't feel right. So to answer the question of who I was outside work, I stepped outside of work. 

It was always my dream to be retired. And so I tried it. For a full year. And hated it. And went back to a full time job. And I'm honestly free-er than ever. I feel like it anyway. This feels much more like a retired life than actually being retired.

I always thought thinking about death helps put things in perspective. And genuinely, if I had a year to live or 6 months, I would just keep doing what I am doing now. 

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That “thinking about death” comment might sound morbid, but it’s a tried and tested way to figure out what really matters.

Admittedly it’s not a method I’ve dabbled in myself.

But reminding yourself you’ll soon be kicking the bucket is a key plank of Stoic philosophy. A while back, I read that Zen monk Leo Babauta meditates in a graveyard for this very reason.

So is this the takeaway from today’s email?

Should we replace career pivots, sabbaticals and quitting our jobs with trips to the local cemetery if we want our jobs to serve our lives rather than the other way around?

Well, you can if you like.

But if you want to create a working life that fits you, there are simpler, less spooky ways to go about it.

One of those ways is the new small group coaching program which I’ve been writing about over the last couple of days

The program isn’t a fast-track for becoming your boss’s gold star employee.

Instead, it’s a space for people who are willing to think, feel and choose what actually works for them rather than what looks good in a performance review.

Now, looking good in a performance review might be exactly what you’re after.

That’s not for me to say.

But what I can say hand on heart is that it’s possible to do well at work without trading in your joy, energy, sanity or life outside the office.

That’s the space this group is designed to explore.

As it happens, the more you approach work with joy, energy and a clear, unfrazzled mind, the more the results tend to show up too.

Funny that. 

It’s almost as if you’re allowed to feel good while doing good work (whisper it quietly).

Anyway, if you think this group coaching program might be a fit, please hit reply and let me know.

In fact, hitting reply is the only way to make sure the program is a fit for you. If you ask me questions and let me know what you’re looking for, I can shape the program to match what you’re after. But if you don’t, I can’t.

Thank you to everyone who’s replied over the last couple of days.

And if you’re on the fence, today is the last day I’ll be emailing about this program.

If you want to find a way to succeed on your own terms at work, now’s the time to hit reply.

I look forward to hearing from you.