Book Nook: Work Freely - Love Your Job, Love Your Life

All too often, we are consumed by trying to fit into someone else’s box, going from one job to the next, one manager to the next, one project to the next, only to realize that years, and maybe even decades, have gone by in the pursuit of achieving a life we “hoped” would someday become a reality.

The book, Work Freely: Love Your Job. Love Your Life, which Nancy Richardson co-wrote with executive life coach Rochelle Davidson, CPCC, ACC, encourages audiences to flip the script and take the time to lay out their goals, dreams, and aspirations. The authors provide guidance on designing your career to suit you—then choosing the companies, bosses, friends, and other circumstances that meet the criteria you’ve set, to live and work with ultimate freedom. This book is about choosing your path, defining your leadership, and finding your power to make a life you love not just a possibility but a sure thing.


Why did you write this book?
The concept of this book is choosing your life instead of letting it choose you. All too often, we are consumed by trying to fit into someone else’s box, going from one job to the next, one manager to the next, one project to the next, only to realize that years, and maybe even decades, have gone by in the pursuit of achieving a life we “hoped” would someday become a reality. Work Freely is about flipping the script and taking the time to lay out your goals, dreams, and aspirations—designing your career to suit you—then choosing the companies, bosses, friends, and other circumstances that meet the criteria you’ve set, to live and work with ultimate freedom.

My stories reflect the career challenges I have faced that have kept me from feel- ing free in the workplace. Coaching is what helped me overcome these obstacles. The lessons I share in my stories, along with Rochelle’s coaching, are designed to equip you with the tools to manage adversity, accelerate your career, and access your “Super Self”.

This book is meant to be read right before bed, on vacation, or whenever you need to calm a busy mind. It is a tool to help you relax, take back control of your life circumstances, and embrace the fact that “you cannot fail, you can only learn.” I hope that everyone can relate to the stories and personally benefit from the coaching. You can read the chapters in any order you like, feeling free to jump around and choose those that are most relevant to you, at the times in your life when you need them the most.

Why is it so important to find a job that one loves?
Rochelle: You will spend a consider amount of your time and energy at work, so choosing a job that you love will help to energize you rather than deplete you. It’s about thriving, not simply surviving. Loving your work will allow you to be your best self and to contribute in meaningful ways. We all want to make a difference in the world. And when you’re able to be your best at work every day, then you go home to your family or your friends or your sports team or your community groups and be your best with them as well. Your experience at work impacts almost all other realms of your life. Choose your work wisely!

How can people identify what kind of jobs they'll love?
Rochelle: Ask yourself these three questions: What are you passionate about? What do you have skill/talent for? What does the world need? You have the greatest chance of identifying a job you’ll love, and finding fulfillment in your career, if you hit that sweet spot where all three intersect. If the world needs it, yet it’s not something that inspires you and/or you don’t have the ability to be successful - you will get frustrated pretty quickly. You have the skills/talent for it yet you don’t love it (no passion)? You’ll burnout. Love it (passion) yet the world doesn’t need it and/or you don’t have the skills/talent required? That’s called a hobby. That is me and cycling. I can be on my bike everyday yet I’m not likely to become a paid professional rider so I tap into other areas where the three do intersect – like coaching.

How can people transition into a different vocation or career?
Rochelle:
Ask yourself these questions:
Why are you considering a career change? Why now?Are you running away from something or toward something? We all experience times in our careers/job where we aren’t feeling fulfilled, energized, impactful, etc. Take a step back, think about what inspired you to be in this job in the first place. Is it that your current career is no longer serving you? Or perhaps you’re feeling disengaged due to something you can shift. Running away from your current gig, without having a clear picture of what you do want, may have you making decisions that don’t ultimately serve you. Change for change sake is risky if you don’t what you are moving toward.
Beyond your career, what is important for you in your life? If you look through the holistic lens of your life, what do you need to consider? There are so many options out there career-wise, it can feel overwhelming at times. Anchor yourself in what you need as a human being, not just in your career. If being at home for/with your children is a priority for you right now, or having time outside of work to train for a triathlon/marathon is a must, you need to consider that. It is not just about having the job that completely fulfills your sense of purpose. Sometimes it’s about creating a work situation that allows you to do that other things that are important for you.

NANCY RICHARDSON began her career with a BA from the University of Washington and MBA from Ohio State University. After more than twenty years of working in large, corporate environments, including Starbucks and Lululemon—where she put in insane hours and had little time with her family, and where others determined her worth—she decided to design her own life by tapping into the era of start-ups and passion projects, building meaningful brands, and working from home to spend more time with her family. She is the Founder & Principal Strategist of Dragon Lady and CEO of Mom ’n’ Pop Shop. Her mission is to embolden the workforce of the future. Nancy was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, and currently lives in Vancouver, Canada. She can be reached on LinkedIn and at Mom ’n’ Pop Shop and WorkFreely.

ROCHELLE DAVIDSON, CPCC, ACC, is Chief Embolden Officer at Rochelle Davidson Coaching Her purpose is to embolden and equip people and organizations to create their unique impact in the world. With a BA in Business from the University of British Columbia and a MA in Applied Behavioral Sciences from Bastyr University, she is at her best when partnering with leaders to create healthy employees and workplaces, to get results that really matter. Rochelle is a proud cancer survivor and this experience has further fuelled her mission to see people and organizations thrive, not merely survive. She supports her clients in creating environments where their people are inspired, connect to each other in meaningful ways, and use their strengths to contribute to something bigger than themselves and has worked with companies including lululemon athletica, Accenture and University of British Columbia. Rochelle is a certified professional coach, credentialed through International Coach Federation and Coaches Training Institute. Rochelle lives a life she loves in Vancouver, Canada. She can be reached on LinkedIn, at WorkFreely.co and at rochelledavidson.com.

Their new book, Work Freely: Love Your Job. Love Your Life. is available on WorkFreely.co, Amazon and other fine booksellers.