Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor. I'm the founder of Lead Above Noise, where we help leaders activate performance and engagement without burning out, whether it's boot camps, keynotes, or pulse checks, we deliver workshops and programs that drive meaningful change. If your workplace is ready for an activation boost, you know where to find me. So can we talk about my dad for a second? So when I was growing up, he was all about watching sports. Whatever game was on, he was all in.
And now that he's older, he has transferred his affection to wait for it. Hallmark movies, OMG, he loves everything about them. And whenever he's at my house, he puts one on and I grumble while I get totally sucked in. Are they all basically the same? Yes, they are. You know, big city career person moves to a small town, usually begrudgingly and somewhere between decorating cookies and saving the local bookstore. They have this life altering moment of clarity.
They've realized they've been chasing the wrong things, they reprioritize and everything falls perfectly into place. I know gross, but also more please. And I actually think I'm starting to learn something. While you are totally welcome to pass on the relocating to a small town and saving the bookstore part, I do think there is something to be said for the stepping back and reflecting part year end is a great time for this though. Frankly, it's never a bad time to audit how things are going.
When I do this, there are four key questions I'd like to ask myself. The four places I'd love to investigate, and I'd like to walk you through my approach and see what resonates. So here we go. The first bit I like to reflect on is clarity. Like are you clear on where you're going? This is not the same thing as what's your five-year plan. This is meant to be more of a direction than a destination.
So rather than stating a specific title or salary that you're striving for, focus instead on what you wanna be doing, how you wanna be spending your time, asking yourself questions like, do I wanna be deepening a particular expertise or am I interested in broadening or growing into a leadership role? Does my current role give me the opportunity to develop in that particular direction?
Like do I have access to other subject matter experts or small opportunities to dip a toe into the leadership pool? And do I feel excited by or engaged in the direction I'm heading? Or am I just following the path? I feel like I'm supposed to? Take a moment to reflect on your answers. If you feel like you're spinning your wheels or lacking a clear destination, it's okay. The goal here isn't to have your entire career mapped out, but to identify what's next and why it matters.
If clarity feels a little hazy, start small. Reach out to a mentor or a colleague and talk about your aspirations. Sometimes just saying it all out loud can bring unexpected insights. Or my go-to is journaling straight up pen and paper because sometimes it feels like my fingers carry a particular wisdom, the rest of me is lacking. So the next spot I like to investigate is growth. Like are you developing in meaningful ways?
So growth can be about promotions or certifications, but it can also just be about finding moments in which to stretch and challenge yourself to learn and practice new skills and expand your confidence, your readiness to take on new things. You might ask yourself, what's something I learned this year? A skill, a tool, a practice that I'm proud of, and do I feel set up to build on it Next year? What's the biggest gap between my current self and the person I'm striving to be?
What does that person know how to do that I don't? And where can I find the opportunity to learn it? And are there specific parts of my job I'm doing on autopilot? And are there ways I might spice things up next year? Try something new. See how it lands. If growth feels stagnant, consider where you might need a nudge. It could be as simple as volunteering to lead a project, taking a class, or even shadowing a colleague in a different department. Choose one small challenge to take on in January.
Something that feels just a bit outside your comfort zone. For example, if public speaking makes you nervous, offer to present at an upcoming team meeting. Growth happens in small moments of stretch. The third space to look is impact. Are you creating value that matters? We all want our work to matter, but sometimes in the rush to check boxes, we lose sight of the bigger picture. Ask yourself, who benefits most from my work?
And this, by the way, does not have to be big or existential or lifesaving, but whose life are you making a tiny bit easier or cleaner or more interesting? And does that excite you? What's one project or accomplishment this year that I'm especially proud of? And how did it contribute to an outcome that I care about? And if I walked away tomorrow, what would people miss about the value I bring to the team?
If you're not sure about the answers, take this as a cue to reconnect with the why behind your work. Understanding the impact you have on colleagues or customers or the organization can reignite your sense of purpose. Talk to your leader about how your work has made a difference. Ask for feedback, share your own reflections. Acknowledging your impact out loud can deepen your confidence and commitment. And the fourth area is balance. Are you thriving in and out of work?
Balance is not about achieving perfection, it's about feeling like you can show up fully for both your work and your life. So ask yourself, how do I feel at the end of most work days, energized, neutral, or drained? Are there boundaries I need to set to protect my time and energy? And what's one habit or ritual I could add or remove to feel more balanced? Balance is personal. For some it's about setting stricter work hours.
For others, it's about making time for hobbies or relationships or just rest. Pick one boundary to experiment with next month. Maybe it's setting a hard stop on emails after 6:00 PM or taking a midday walk to recharge. Small changes can have a huge impact on your overall wellbeing. When you take the time to reflect on these four areas, clarity, growth, impact, and balance, you're not just auditing your career, you're investing in yourself. Remember, this isn't about reinventing who you are.
It's about fine tuning where you're going, celebrating how far you've come, and setting yourself up for a strong and purposeful 2025. If this exercise feels helpful, share it with a friend or colleague. You never know whose career might benefit from a little reflection and inspiration. And if your team or workplace could use a boost in activation, engagement, or clarity, you know where to find me, shoot me a note at rachel@leadabovenoise.com. Join me next week for another great episode.
Until then, visit my website@leadabovenoise.com. If your workplace could use an activation boost, whether it's a bootcamp, a keynote, or a pulse check you choose, you can follow Modern Mentor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks so much for listening and have a successful week. Modern Mentor is a quick and Dirty Tips podcast. It's audio engineered by Dan Farb Bend. Our director of podcasts is Brandon Getches.
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