Jamie Holbrook Coaching

All hail the god of productivity!


We sure do love productivity in our culture.🏃‍♀️ Our whole day revolves around it. Leisure? Pff. Only if we can fit it in around our productive time.

We get anxious when we’re not being “productive.”

We’re judged by how “productive” we are.

We have to go, go, go all the time or our value as a human falls because we’re not being “productive.”

This is, of course, some definite bu****it. 💩

Our definition of productivity is actually getting in the way of creating and problem solving. It’s a distraction.

It keeps us tired and obedient by demanding that we obey a rigid definition of what constitutes productivity, where productivity should happen, and when it should happen. 😒

There's a better way to create, solve problems, and make decisions, including deciding what to do next in your career.

I'll be talking all about it in my next newsletter. 💌Not signed up? Now's a great time to get on my list!

Just click the link in my bio.

The beginning of a new season always excites and energizes me. 🌺 🌷

Change is exciting, but when it comes to something like changing careers, it can also be scary, overwhelming, and confusing. Even though change is one of the only constants in life, human brains don't always like it. That's why we come up with excuse after excuse to keep doing what we're doing, even when we know it's not right for us anymore. Here are three ways trying something new can help you overcome self-sabotage and hesitation to finally start changing careers:

1. Our brains can be re-wired to be more accepting of change. Try this: change one small thing. Find something that's low-stakes, that your brain won't see as too threatening, like moving your toothbrush to the other side of the sink (😘 Laura Husson). If something that small can show your brain change is safe, imagine what picking up a new hobby or joining a new social group can do.

2. Trying something new can be inspiring. You might find a new passion. You might uncover a new skill you didn't realize you had. Skills and interests that aren't relevant to your current career can provide valuable information in figuring out what you want to do next by expanding your idea of what you're capable of and what you want.

3. A new activity can help take the pressure off your career to fulfill you in every way. We place a lot of pressure on our careers to do everything for us - give us a sense of purpose, happiness, and fulfillment; bring us money, material goods, and status; prove our worthiness; contribute to society; and define who we are. Expecting a job to do all these things isn't realistic, and expecting it to is a path to dissatisfaction. But if you do other things that bring some sort of satisfaction, then your career can occupy a more realistic position in your life where it's important (or not, if that's your jam) but not the end-all be-all.

So, this spring, think about what new thing you could try. The benefits will ripple throughout your life.

P.S. Maybe that new thing is working with a coach! PM me if you want to learn more.

When enough people change their beliefs about what is possible, the entire system changes, too.

The 40-hour work week. Nine to five. Twenty-four hours in a day. Time is money. Your salary. Accounting = well-paid; care work = poorly paid. Three meals a day. Fifteen days of PTO.

Do we truly realize just how arbitrary these things are? Not arbitrary in the sense that we don't know where they came from—it's easy enough to trace the origins of the 9 to 5 work day or the exploitation of workers back to white supremacist, patriarchal capitalism—but arbitrary in the sense that they aren't rooted in any truth or physical presence.

How much has the pandemic taught us about how we've been spending our time? There was no particular reason most of us had to be in an office to do our work, no particular reason we had to do that work from 9 to 5 (or more), no particular reason the monetary value of our labor was determined to be X or Z amount, no particular reason we shouldn't take a walk at 3 in the afternoon.

Still, the fact that these structures have been with us our whole lives and are as common as the air we breath makes it hard to step out of them, tear them down, and rebel against them. But we tell ourselves things like, I can't leave my job, I have a mortgage to pay. I spent all that money on a degree, it will be a waste not to use it. I'm too old, it's too late.

These beliefs are just as arbitrary as the concept of the 9 to 5 work day. And one way we can step out of the structures that don't work for us and other people is to say no to them, to the systems that are engrained in us and have kept us unhappy, unfulfilled, unhealthy, disconnected, and part of exploitative systems (this post doesn't even get into the many, many ways hourly wage labor is broken).

It is both simple and, often, very difficult. These are beliefs we've had for years or decades. They are very sticky. But that means overturning them is very powerful. It means that making one decision to say, no, this isn't working for me, I choose something else, can be life-changing.

When enough people say it, it can be world-changing.

Who's coming with me?

Have you ever said any of these, or some variation thereof?
I'm not a risk taker.
I always quit new things before I finish.
I'm not as confident as some people.
I just need to lose a little more weight.
I just need to save more money first.

These are worthiness prerequisites - the things we think we have to be before we can pursue what we really want. We think we have to be a little better at saving and a little less risk averse to leave the job we can't stand and do something we actually like. We think we have to prove to ourselves that we have willpower before we invest in a new degree or certification. We think we need to lose weight before we start dating (don't think this is relevant to career change? Think about how your belief in what you have to offer another person and what you deserve affects your career choices.)

We are culturally trained to see our worthiness as conditional. Conditional on getting good grades, on being well-behaved, on being desired by someone else, on making a certain amount of money, on meeting a certain beauty standard.

Humans have a natural tendency to come up with all kinds of reasons not to make big changes. One way we do this is by telling ourselves we don't deserve the things we want yet. We just need to be a liiiitttle more whatever, or a liiiitttle less whatever, and THEN we can start going after what we want.

The problem is, your brain will always be able to come up with reasons you shouldn't pursue what you want yet. There's no magical point at which you're in a state of perfect readiness, no perfect version of you that finally deserves a career you love, a house you love, a person you love.

The truth is, you're actually ready RIGHT NOW to have what you want. There is nothing more you need to do or be in order to deserve the life you want. Your very existence is stunning and unique and improbable. Simply by being a human being in the world, you are worthy of what you want.

How long are you going to keep waiting to stop doing things that aren't right for you and start doing the things that are? Remember, you only get one life. There are no do-overs. It all comes down to one simple question: Are you going to choose to let these worthiness prerequisites stop you from having the life you really want?

This is one of the things we're rebelling against in Your Career Rebellion - the idea that you deserve anything less than all of your hopes and dreams, anything less than fulfillment, happiness, and prosperity. You deserve all of those things, I promise, and you deserve them now. Without unworthiness and un-deservingness clouding your lens, you can see your true desires and vision so much more clearly.

Are you ready to stop letting your worthiness prerequisites stop you from having a career and life you love? Maybe it's time to find out if I'm the right person to guide and support you on your career change journey. Let's talk about it and find out: https://buff.ly/3GLpmuD

I recently revamped my weekly emails, and let me tell you: they are where it's AT if you want to work on your mindset and decision-making powers around changing careers.

Every Sunday morning, I send an email with a 5-minute grounding exercise, a journal prompt, a weekly affirmation, and insights on what you really need to do to gain the confidence, clarity, and vision to change careers. All of these elements are related each week, so you can focus on a particular aspect of this work each week in your mind, body, and spirit.

If you're not ready to invest in 1:1 coaching, this is best way to get a taste of the Jamie goodness for free. Just sign up here and start shifting the way you look at your career: https://buff.ly/3H8hkfM

How are you going about finding a new career? Are you going on informational interviews? Are you scrolling through LinkedIn? Are you making pros and cons lists?

Do you have a process?

There is a process for changing careers, and it’s probably not what you think. It’s a process of understanding who you really are, what your beliefs are about what you can, should, and will do, understanding and transforming your self-doubt, recognizing the difference between what society and your family think you should do and what you really want to do, and translating all this into manageable but transformative steps.

And yes, it also includes figuring out what your true skills and interests are, how much money you want, and what kind of lifestyle you want.

I see a lot of people flailing around trying to figure out what to do next without any real idea of how to go about changing careers, ultimately staying stuck where they are because they aren’t sure how to figure it out.

This is where I come in! Working with me will give you a framework for finding the confidence, clarity, and vision to change careers. It will help you stop wasting your time doing things that aren’t actually helping. It will help you stop worrying about making the wrong decision.

It will help you get clear on what you really want and what you’re good at. It will help you understand how you make decisions so you can make them confidently. It will give you concrete steps. It will support you in creating a vision for your next five, ten, fifty years.

Ready to stop flailing around and move forward toward a better career? Download Your Career Rebellion: The Workbook today and get started! And if you’re ready for more personalized support, book a call to chat with me about what you’re looking for and how I can help.

Confusion isn’t necessary. Clarity is possible.

If you were happy, would everything else just fall into place?

Here's what I mean:

Instead of saying "I'll be happy when I find a partner" what if being happy attracted a partner?

Instead of saying "I'll be happy when I lose weight" what if being happy helped you adopt healthier habits?

Instead of saying "I'll be happy when my business/career is successful" what if being happy gave you clarity on what you really want to do?

Or even: what if just being happy for the sake of it, not for any personal or professional goal, were enough?

I don't mean be happy all the time. All emotions are valid and should be felt in their turn. And I don't mean that if you're facing mental health challenges, you should deny those, either.

I'm talking about LEADING with happiness. PRACTICING feeling happy. CHOOSING to prioritize that which bring you joy, fulfillment, and deep satisfaction.

And most of all, I'm saying: DO NOT MAKE YOUR HAPPINESS CONDITIONAL.

You deserve happiness now, no matter what you circumstances. No matter what you relationships status is, no matter what your bank balance is, not matter what the number on the scale says.

Happy Valentine's Day, friends.

You're not changing careers because you want to go from a career you feel "meh" about to another one you feel "meh" about, right? You're doing it because you want more happiness, fulfillment, impact, and excitement in your life. You're doing it because you want a career that actually aligns with who you currently are, your values, your lifestyle desires, your desired impact on the world.

I think a lot of people kind of flail around wondering how to go about their career change, which makes it take longer, be less effective, or prevents them from making a change at all. A step-by-step process, though, will cut down on anxiety and confusion and build your confidence, clarity, and vision for your career change.

Making an effective career change means diving deep into who you really are now, what you value, what you want, and how you want to live your life. If this sounds like what you need, I have just the thing for you: Your Career Rebellion: The Workbook!!

This is the workbook my private clients get, but I wanted to make it available to everyone who's looking for a process to guide them in making the kind of career change I'm describing above. So, I googled "how to make a fillable PDF" and voila!

Sound good? Grab a copy here!

Your Career Rebellion: The Workbook This workbook contains a step-by-step process for figuring out what you want to do next and feeling confident doing it. It walks you through uncovering what really matters to you, what you're really capable of, what you really want, and how to start getting it.

Not sure where to start your career change journey?

A lot of people don't really know where to get started with changing careers. They want a clear process for figuring out what they want and overcoming doubt, hesitation, and self-sabotage to get it, but don't know where to look to find that process. They know they want a change, but feel overwhelmed by their options and unclear on why they can't just get moving forward.

Private coaching is an amazing solution to this. But if you're not sure you're ready for that, or just want to get started on your own, then I have just the tool for you! It's Your Career Rebellion: The Workbook.

With this workbook as your guide, you will:​

✨ Determine how you want to live your life
✨ Define what success means to you (not what you've been told it should mean)
✨ Start re-programming your subconscious to support you
✨ Understand and replace your limiting beliefs around money
✨ Broaden your understanding of what you're good at and what you enjoy doing
✨ Define what you actually want
✨ Plan your next steps to move you toward your new vision

This is the exact workbook my private clients receive, now available to anyone who wants to finally get moving forward on confidently changing careers!

If you want to be intentional about stepping off the obvious path and changing careers, Your Career Rebellion: The Workbook is the perfect starting point. So, download it today and start building a life that's truly right for you!

Your Career Rebellion: The Workbook This workbook contains a step-by-step process for figuring out what you want to do next and feeling confident doing it. It walks you through uncovering what really matters to you, what you're really capable of, what you really want, and how to start getting it.

How you think about money can have a huge impact on what you think is possible and desirable when changing careers. We're all told stories about money and our relationship to it growing up, usually without even being aware that it's happening. Examining these stories is an important element of understanding what you really want.

Use these journal prompts to start exploring your beliefs around money and how they're influencing you today. If you're comfortable, I'd love to hear about your biggest money stories and where they came from in the comments. We all have them!

1. What stories were told about money as a kid?
2. How are these stories influencing you today?
3. What are 3 money beliefs you need to forgive yourself for?
4. What would you be able to do if you had 10 million dollars?
5. Write 20 reasons you're grateful for money.

And if you want more journal prompts, plus an entire workbook full of exercises, templates, affirmations, and more that guides you through your career change journey, check out Your Career Rebellion: The Workbook, for sale now! https://buff.ly/35yRzr1