Work, Reimagined…

Ever wonder why it feels so hard to find you work you actually like?

I get it.

You’re a worker. You like to contribute and connect. You like to be independent and self-sufficient. You’ve always worked….but you’re questioning what you want the future of your work to actually look like. 

You’re wondering whether it’s possible to do work you like. Maybe even love? You worry you’re destined to phone it in a j.o.b. Forever and ever. 

You see other people make the leap to more creative, inspiring, fulfilling work and you wish you could do that. You just don’t know what you’d actually be making the leap to. 

If you knew what you wanted to do...you’d be doing it. 

But instead, here’s what’s actually happening:

• You binge on inspiration, like podcasts and instagram, and come up with crazy ideas about what you could do, but then you don’t take any action. 

• You want to do work you're passionate about, but you have zero clue how to figure out what that work is, where to look for it, or how to even start. 

• You can't decide if you want to quit your job because you just need a change of scenery, a new boss, a different focus, or, if it's because you are craving a new career path altogether. 

• You want to set an example to your kids and do work you actually care about. You don't want them to see their mom miserable and stressed out about work all the time. 

• You procrastinate by scouring job boards waiting for the “perfect” job to appear. 

• You get frustrated by the advice to "follow your passions." You're a passionate person, but you worry you don’t have a passion that translates to work.

You’re smart. You’re talented. You know this and so does everyone around you. So why does your work-life never feel like enough? Why do you feel like there's an enormous disparity around who you are and the work that you put into the world?

There’s a disconnect. 

The reason you haven’t found work you love is because you’ve been programmed by contradictory work philosophies. 

What we’ve heard our entire lives is paradoxical. On one hand we’re told to be creative and “follow our passions!” On the other hand we’re told to be responsible and and climb the ladder.

Both promise the path to “happiness.”

But together….where does it leave us?

At best, it’s confusing and insulting, whether you want the CEO’s corner office or to stay home with your kids.

As a result, many of us end up stressed out, desperately searching for work that lights us up and also pays the bills.

That’s a ton of pressure.

But you can’t pressure yourself into finding the “perfect” work scenario.

The answer to discovering work that feels good is to first undo the expectations you have of work, and then re-write them.

And there’s a simple way to do this.

1. Get to know what you’re naturally good at

2. Figure out what’s important to you now at this stage at your life. 

3. Put those two things together, and start exploring and experimenting. 

This can feel hard at first, because we are hardwired to want the answer yesterday. But that’s not how things work. You’ve got to be willing to let go of the reins and see what unfolds on a new path. 

I’m here to help you do that. 

It’s time for:

Work, Reimagined...

Work, Reimagined is a 1:1 partnership to help you redesign your work life. 

It isn’t about rewriting your resume and optimizing your LinkedIn profile. 

It is about rewiring your brain with new ideas about work based on human connection, contribution and creativity. 

HERE’S WHAT OUR WORK TOGETHER COVERS:

Leveraging your unique superpowers

Understanding your innate strengths is the key to knowing the type of work that energizes you versus the type of work that makes you want to bang your head against your desk. Diving into your strengths will help you

• Take a new look at the work you’ve been doing and understand why it has or hasn’t been working. 

• Inspire new ideas of ways to connect, contribute, and create, either in your current work situation or in something new you’d like to explore. 

• Accept the parts of you that you’re often trying to “fix” (like procrastination, or starting things without finishing, or disorganization), and turn your attention instead to the strengths that will move you forward. 

Understanding what you want 

Defining your values now, at this stage of your life, creates the foundation for you to rewrite what you want out of work. Having a solid relationship with your values will::

• Give you a crystal clear lens to help you make decisions. 

• Shed light on why your life or job looks good on paper, but feels like crap inside.

• Help you stand firmly in what you want to create for yourself and be less distracted by what everyone else is doing. 

Managing Stress and Overwhelm

Creating awareness of your body, your mental habits, and emotional patterns is the difference between feeling stressed and overwhelmed, and calm and in control. You’ll learn:

• How to differentiate between stress versus stressor, and why this is a game-changer to get out of frequent stress cycles. 

• Why imposter syndrome isn’t a bad thing, and how to manage it when it shows up as you take new action. 

• How to stop fighting yourself and build confidence as you build your new work identity. 

The power of experimentation 

Worried about having the perfect ‘plan’ and never acting until you have it all figured out? We’ll cover:

• How to find joy through experimentation.

• The beauty of throwing the plan away and designing action based on your strengths, values, and what feels fun and supportive of your lifestyle now. 

• The value in starting before you’re ready. 

WHAT YOU’LL GET:

• 8 (75) minute 1:1 zoom sessions 

• A free strengths and values assessment

• Unlimited Voxer and email support throughout

• A shared Google doc to record notes and progress

Work, Reimagined is a $2,000 partnership. Payment plans are available. 

My Story

I’m Catherine Ferguson, life coach, work strategist for busy, creative women, and mom to two kids. 

From the moment I entered the workforce after college, I spent just as much time questioning the work I was doing as I did at the office. I was always on the hunt for work that not only paid the bills, but lit up my soul.

Despite the excitement of working for big-name companies all across the country, I could never shake the worry that I wasn’t doing the work I was meant to be doing. 

In 2018, I left my corporate marketing career on a quest for more fulfilling work.  And since then, I’ve redefined what “work” actually is, with a renewed understanding of what’s important to me and what I’m naturally good at. 

Over the years I’ve noticed there is one crucial difference between people who joyously pursue work that lights them up...and those who don’t. 

It’s self-judgement versus self-trust.

When you’re in judgement about yourself and the work that you do, you’re:

• Less likely to recognize your own innate gifts

• More fearful of trying something new

• Worried about what others will say

• Preoccupied with finances and less likely to see alternative options

• Feeling pressured to find answers ASAP

But when you’re trusting of yourself, you’re:

• Willing to explore new ideas 

• Relentlessly supportive of yourself, your ideas and your journey

• Less distracted by what others are doing and saying

• Open to new definitions of “work” what it looks like

• Unattached to a rigid timeline and feeling like you need to know the answer immediately. 

Work, reimagined, is a partnership that guides you down the road from judgement to trust. From the fear of forging a new path to the joy of experimentation and exploration. 

It’s a new way to think about the work that you do, and how you can contribute, connect and create in a way that lights you up. 

It will change the way you think about work, forever. 

Unsure if this is a good fit for you? Drop me a line and let me know what’s going on.