This Is Not The Career I Ordered™ Blog
Savvy Professional Career Wisdom by Caroline Dowd-Higgins
This is Not the Career I Ordered is read by thousands of careerists around the globe. With savvy tools, inspiration, and resources, this timeless book empowers you to enjoy your career, and love your life!
Keep, Stop, Start Your Way to Clarity, Purpose, and Wellness

As a career and executive coach, I work with many individuals who are stalled or stuck in a stagnant routine of life and career that zaps their energy and enthusiasm. The human body is constantly changing at a cellular level, so the process of transformation runs deep within our very being. I encourage you to […]
Parents Under Pressure: The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Their Mental Health and Wellbeing

United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents, highlighting the urgent need to better support parents, caregivers, and families to help our communities thrive. Burnout, exhaustion, and overwhelm are causing a human energy crisis in workplaces around the world and for many parents, life at […]
Rest Is More Than Sleep: What You Need to Renew Your Energy

I am a firm believer in the power of sleep and do my best to get 8 hours every night to maintain my health and wellness. I thought I was honoring my need to rest but my mind was blown when I read a piece about Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith in Maria Shriver’s: The Sunday Paper […]
5 Tips for Increasing Your Confidence at Work

Many thanks to Patricia Thomas, an online writer for this guest contribution. She’s a new writer and contributor at contentcampfire.com. She writes about career development for women. Confidence and job success often go hand in hand. Unfortunately, many women don’t feel confident at work. If your on-the-job confidence could use a boost, it makes sense to […]
The Cause of Career Burnout That May Surprise You

I recently spoke to Paula Davis, CEO of the The Stress and Resilience Institute, about her book, Beating Burnout at Work: Why Teams Hold the Secret to Well-Being & Resilience on my Your Working Life podcast. Paula shared her candid experience about burning out during the last year of her law practice. At the time, she thought […]
Travel During the Time of COVID

Oh, for the day when we can hop on a plane and go see our long-distance family, or our friends without a worry…when we can book that cruise…or finally make the trip back to Italy we’ve been dreaming about for the past several years. For many of my clients, colleagues and friends, cabin fever has […]
A Hybrid Solution for Where We’ll Work

It’s been 367+ days since I have worked onsite at my organization. I’m sure there is an inch of dust on my desk and my calendar still reads March 2020. A classic extravert, I thought I would struggle working from home missing the daily interactions in-person. To my surprise, I have acclimated to my home […]
Keeping Women in Careers When Work/Life Integration Seems Impossible

The statistics are staggering about women who are leaving the workforce. Every year, 25% of women exit a career because they can’t make work and life fit together and this has been exacerbated during the pandemic. Women forfeit up to four times their salary every year they are out of the workforce, which impacts their […]
Power to Her: Women Leaders Are Changing the World

I’m speaking at the Power to Her virtual event at Ivy Tech and inspired by the women I work with and how they are committed to empowering women together. Women are paving the way for a new style of leadership that is confident, authentic, and highly effective. Catalyst reportsthat the share of women in senior […]
Be Your Own Valentine: Love Who You Are

It’s the time of year for cards with red hearts, chocolates, and flowers as Valentine’s Day approaches. It causes anxiety for some who are seeking affection, and bliss for others who are celebrating their love with someone special. The pandemic reality has necessitated isolation for many, making connection difficult. This Valentine’s Day I encourage you […]
10 Health Benefits of Quality Sleep

I’m delighted to showcase this awesome piece about sleep by Terry Cralle that originally appeared here. Check out the amazing resources on this site to help you experience optimal sleep for good health. In many cultures, a lack of sleep is seen as a badge of honor of sorts. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” people […]
Easy Hacks to Beat Zoom Fatigue

Before the pandemic, which necessitated working from home I had never spent so much time on Zoom. Meetings with geographically distant colleagues via Zoom were a great way to connect with anyone, anywhere but it was not the primary way I conducted business. Whether you are using Zoom, Teams, or one of the many online […]
Why You Should Limit Exposure to Digital Devices this Winter

Today people are living device-driven lifestyles—between your work life and personal time, you likely interact with digital screens throughout the majority of your day, whether it be through a smartphone, computer, tablet, or television. Now that electronics are so prominent in everyday routines, most people have begun using them subconsciously. Studies have shown that 66% […]
The Post-Pandemic Me Will Be Even More Successful

Many thanks to Lindsay Washington for this guest blog post. Even though most businesses have been able to adapt to the Covid-19 challenges, some workers feel like they are stuck in a professional rut. Working in a remote environment has been liberating in many ways, but you may also feel the impact of the pandemic […]