Career Refresh Digest #31
Welcome to the first edition of the Career Refresh Digest for 2026. In this newsletter you'll find some practical ideas to help you ease back into the work year.
*****
WORTH DOING
Resetting after the holidays
If you're a regular reader of my content you'll know I encourage people to notice the clues that will clarify what 'good' looks like for them. That's how you ultimately get to write your own definition of success and be deliberate about your decisions and direction.
One of the best times for clue-gathering is on holiday – because your brain is better at noticing things when you're out of your normal routine.
So before you fall back into your usual rhythm, take some time to reflect on and capture anything that came up for you on holiday that might help you in the year ahead.
For example, did you notice:
what brought you joy?
what sparked your interest or gave you energy?
what drained you or created tension?
when were you at your best?
Clues or insights like these can help clarify what you need more of (or less of) to thrive in the year ahead.
*****
WORTH REFLECTING ON
Misalignment and how to decide what to do about it
As the year kicks off, the contrast between holiday clarity and work reality means any misalignment at work is often more noticeable. For example if the workplace culture conflicts with your values, or if your interests no longer fit with the field of work you're in.
The question is, how do you decide what that misalignment means and whether to act on it? The answer depends on the impact.
Sometimes the misalignment is noticeable but not having a big impact. Sometimes, the misalignment is having a big impact but is within your control to change.
Other times, however, the impact of the misalignment is so great that it is affecting your mental health and wellbeing (as is often the case with a values clash). That's when you might decide that a more significant change of circumstances may be needed.
*****
WORTH THINKING ABOUT
Living a life true to yourself
"I wish I'd lived a life true to myself, not the life that other people expected of me".
In an interview I listened to earlier this month with author of "The Top Five Regrets of the Dying", Bronnie Ware, she said this was the most common regret of those she cared for at the end of their lives.
That resonated because one of the common traps I see people have fallen into when they are unhappy in their work, is that they have made career decisions based on what other people think they should do, or out of a fear of being judged.
Living a life true to yourself, though, can be easier said than done. It can be tough to overcome the fear of judgement or to push back on other people's expectations.
It can be even harder when people aren't clear what being 'true to themselves' actually looks like.
As a career coach, a lot of the work I do is around helping people to uncover, or rediscover, who they really are – their preferences, their values, their interests and their most energising strengths. And that can take quite a bit of uncovering after years of operating on autopilot.
But once that clarity is gained, people are much more confident to back themselves, be deliberate about their decisions and be in charge of their direction.
*****
If the start of the year has surfaced something worth looking at more closely, a 15-minute conversation is a good place to start. Book a free call here.
All the best for 2026!
- Lucy
Enjoying this? The Career Refresh Digest is published fortnightly. Subscribe here.
ABOUT THE CAREER REFRESH DIGEST
The Career Refresh Digest is a fortnightly newsletter for mid-career professionals who feel stuck or out of step with their work. Each issue shares practical insights and tools to help you reset direction, make clearer decisions, and reshape your work to better fit your life – drawing on recommendations, research, and insights from client work.