Career Refresh Digest #43
Welcome to the latest edition of the Career Refresh Digest.
I listened to a podcast recently, Mel Robbins interviewing Dr Tina Seelig, a Stanford researcher who has spent over 25 years studying leadership and human behaviour and has written a book on the science of luck. One idea in particular is something I talk to clients about often, as I explain in this issue.
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WORTH THINKING ABOUT
Clarity changes what you notice
Dr Tina Seelig draws a distinction between fortune and luck, suggesting that fortune is what happens to you, the things outside your control, while luck is what you create, or make of what's in front of you.
Sometimes clients might think they are lucky to have found a new role they are thrilled about. But they don't always realise they enabled that 'luck' by having clearly defined what they're looking for, the conditions, the kind of work, what matters most at their stage of life. The opportunities were already there, but when you have clarity, that's what makes them visible. I sometimes describe this to clients as confirmation bias in the positive.
The reverse is just as true. Without that clarity, people tend to run on autopilot. They're not failing to look, they simply don't know what they're looking for, so very little stands out. An opportunity can sit in plain sight and pass them by.
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WORTH REFLECTING ON
What has clarity already shown you?
I've had a version of this email a few times from past clients: "I never would have looked at this job if we hadn't done this process." Again, this wasn't luck showing up from nowhere. What changed was that the person finally knew enough about what they wanted to recognise it when it crossed their path.
Seelig's research points to why. She comes back to an old line, chance favours the prepared mind, and asks what "prepared" actually means. Her answer starts with knowing your core values, which is a core part of the process I take clients through.
That's not a coincidence. It's the same groundwork, whichever route you take to it.
The insights clients get through applying a values lens to their thinking about careers are some of the most powerful, and yet are often overlooked.
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WORTH DOING
Trace your reactions back to your values
Think back over the last few weeks or months and notice the times you had a strong reaction to something, at work or elsewhere. The stronger the reaction, the more likely it's connected to a value.
Write down two or three of these moments. What was actually at stake for you in each one? See what pattern emerges, and what it tells you about your core values.
Then ask yourself how often you've felt those values out of alignment in your current role lately. If the answer is often, that's worth paying attention to now, before it starts to affect your wellbeing.
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If you want a structured way to get clear on this, a Values Clarity Session is a good place to start.
That's it from me for this fortnight.
– Lucy
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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.