I started keeping a journal when I was in middle school. By now I have dozens of them, they fill a big moving box!

After journaling for so many years, this writing practice has come to serve two main purposes:

1) to record the important moments and details of my life, so I can better preserve them and their beauty, and

2) to serve as my private emotional outlet during the rough patches.

What I’ve noticed is that after writing about my experiences I always have greater clarity – and that gives me a better sense of my priorities and values, my direction, and more peace.

This morning, I actually JUST did this.

I'd been offered a new exciting opportunity, but it was a lot – overwhelming, in fact – given everything else I had on my plate.

After taking 30 minutes to journal about that opportunity, I realized that I still want to go after it in the future, but not right now. I closed my journal and have been able to get on with my day with more clarity and a huge sense of relief.

When I worked with a life coach for the first time 10 years ago, my biggest A-ha moment was realizing that coaching had a very similar benefit to journaling, but on a much larger scale.

Essentially, this is about the power of taking time to STOP and REFLECT.

I’d hired this life coach because I'd unexpectedly had a “turning 30” crisis. I knew I was on the wrong path but had no idea how to course correct on my own.

When I took time out of my schedule to meet regularly with my coach, I immediately saw the benefits.

We stepped back to look at the big picture: Where I wanted to go, what was my vision for my life and what was my dream job.

Things became so clear, in fact, that I realized suddenly that my perfect next job had been landing in my inbox for the last 3 weeks via my company’s internal newsletter and that I was almost too late to apply for it.

That moment taught me an unforgettable lesson.

You can’t get closer to what you really want if you don’t take time to get clear on what that is.

Journaling can be an effective tool to help you get clear, but sometimes you need a bigger intervention.

A coach can alert you to your blind spots, challenge you to get out of your comfort zone, and offer you new or broader perspectives.

Working with a coach also keeps you accountable so you actually do stop and reflect.

After my conversation with my life coach had revealed that my perfect job had been under my nose the whole time, I went into work and immediately asked the head of the department: “Is it too late for me to apply for that job?”

He burst into a smile, and I realized how in the dark I’d been. He thought I’d be great for it, and was excited to support me.

Hours before I thought this was a long shot, and now it seemed entirely within reach.

I shudder to think how I would have muddled along in my career if I hadn’t committed to that process with my coach.

Deciding to ask for help, to make time for regular reflection, and to take action based on what I learned ... these simple steps transformed my career, and my life.

Stop and reflect before you go any further in your next career move. That’s my biggest piece of advice.

So wait a minute. Maybe right now your reaction to that is:

The last thing I need to do is make time to think more! I’m already going around and around endlessly about what I should do next. I need to get out of my head already and stop the madness.

Absolutely. I don’t want you to think more – I want you to think differently, with purpose and structure.

Here's a way to start: Get FREE access to my Career Clarity Lab, where I'll show you some simple exercises to help you make better sense of all your ideas and options, and get real clarity about what's next.

Here’s what past participants have said:

“In the retreat, the career planning exercises 'clicked' in a way they just hadn't before when I'd been working through them quietly in books in previous years." — Jed, Oregon, USA

"It was so validating to hear from everyone (across the world and across disciplines) some of the same problems and feelings that I'm experiencing!" – Sydney A., South Carolina, USA

Ready to start your own “stop and reflect” practice -- with some wonderful, likeminded people? Get access to this free masterclass now.

​CLICK HERE FOR INSTANT ACCESS​

Bring your journal too. 📖