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!
2024: Let’s Do This!
As we begin a new year, the time is ripe to start fresh and consider what you need and want to be happy, healthy, and gratified in your life and career. The pressure to pick a new year’s resolution can be stressful. Instead of a singular resolution that is likely to wane in a few […]
Take the Challenge to Be Fully Present During The Holidays
There are a plethora of celebrations from Thanksgiving through the new year that represent a myriad of cultural, religious, pagan, and ethnic holidays. With the hustle and bustle of this festive time of year in full swing, the stress and overwhelm are palpable. If you are fortunate enough to get some down time over the […]
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. This Valentine’s Day I encourage you to see it through a different lens. By all means celebrate […]
Prepared For A Job Change? 5 Strategies That Can Help
While unemployment rates are deceptively low, job layoffs, company re-organizations, and downsizing are ubiquitous. As the Greek philosopher Herclitus said, “The only thing that is constant is change.” My question to you is, are you ready for it? Job security is an illusion in this day and age, and, as an executive coach, I talk […]
6 Ways Sleep Deprivation Is Killing You and Your Career
Sleep helps the body and mind regenerate. While sleeping, your body also regenerates, and your mind prepares for the upcoming day. Failure to get enough sleep will put you in a sleep-deprived mode. When you suffer from sleep deprivation, you put yourself at several risks – increasing the likelihood of experiencing certain mental health concerns […]
Remarkable Health Benefits of Getting Outdoors
I’m so excited to feature this article by Julie Singh, which originally appeared in TripOutside. If you’re a self-professed homebody, you could seriously benefit from a change of scenery. Spending time in nature could improve your physical and mental health, ward off illness, and actually make you happier! As the Father of Western Medicine, Hippocrates, […]
Is Dressing for Success Still a Thing?
The workplace continues to evolve, and with this comes changes in almost every aspect of business, such as office processes, business transactions, and even dress codes. As companies become more and more open to the idea of employees showcasing their personalities through their work and the way they dress, does the old adage “dressing for […]
Finding New Year’s Inspiration: A Poem For 2020 And Beyond
As we head into a new year, I wanted to share a poem written by one of my clients. This client, who I’ll call Mary, has worked in lots of positions that have paid the bills over the years, but now she’s looking to do something where she can touch people’s lives in a more […]
My TEDxBloomingtonWomen Debut
I have always been a goal driven and ambitious woman and my aspiration to give a TED talk has not been kept secret. I became more focused on achieving this goal 3 years ago when I attended my first TEDWomen event in New Orleans. TEDWomen is part of the TED enterprise. This thematic event has […]
Ten Tips to Take Control of Your Career
This amazing guest post comes from my colleague and Design a Career With Purpose event co-creator, Kris Taylor. Given the overall importance of our careers to our well-being and the amount of time and energy we put into our careers, I am always amazed (and sometimes dismayed) at how passively many accept a “less than” […]
Invest in Yourself – And Others
In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, make sure you carve out time to consider what you need to honor your life and career in 2020. Professional development is a great investment in your continuous career journey, whether you are starting a new role or entrepreneurial venture, or trying to maximize your career […]
Want a Better Life? Career? Then Do This!
On Saturday, October 26th, you would have questioned my judgement. It was cold, wet and windy in Indiana. I had been gone most of the month and was preparing for even more travel – so you know what that means as far as “to do” lists. None the less, I spontaneously called the Inn at […]
Pace Yourself This Holiday: 5 Tips For Going The Distance
Oh for the days when Thanksgiving heralded the start of the holidays. Over the past few years, it seems that a kind of holiday creep has overtaken the days of autumn. The holiday roll-out in the U.S. has gotten earlier and earlier – to the point where, anymore, Halloween is the official start of the […]
Work Boundaries: Say Goodbye to Super Woman Syndrome
One month into my new job, I’m incredibly excited thinking about the positive inroads I’ll be able to make for my organization. To say that I’m energized, and ready-to-go is an understatement. At the same time – as a Type-A personality and recovering workaholic – I’m also doing my level best to calm the racehorse […]
