What Lights Your Fire? — Paula Adler Coaching & Consulting

Have you taken the time to explore your life choices, find the golden thread thus far, and give thought to what you might move toward in the future?

When I was young, college was the path I knew I would take. My path was the same as the majority of college-goers. We go to college, take an abundance of required and elective courses, balance library going and social activities, focus on graduating and look for our first jobs. In those early professional years, we work hard, and though we don’t always realize it, we’re seeking to find a career path that both feels good and pays the bills.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately as to how these experiences culminated in where I am today.

In addition to going to college, I had great interest in seeking out international experiences and in taking some measured chances while figuring out a career path that would enable my independence. My parents were not risk takers financially or experientially. We took vacations (Bradley Beach, Miami, Williamsburg, Niagara Falls) and enjoyed experiences together though we rarely stepped out of a familial comfort-zone. My parents were focused on saving for those ‘just in case’ life events that might arise. It made sense.

Math and computer science were my chosen majors. I quickly realized this would pose a challenge for me. I wanted to study abroad, although at that time those opportunities were reserved for language majors. To accommodate this fact, I flipped my course of study and became a French language and literature major (with a math and computer science minor) specifically so I could study abroad. At that time, study abroad was a somewhat exotic, slightly chancy thing to undertake. (My mother bit her tongue about my shift in majors.)

As a college student, I took a chance and spent a year in France in Paris and the Loire Valley. I was a student at l’Université François-Rabelais de Tours, to be exact. I knew that I would ultimately figure out where to take my career; however, the opportunity to study abroad was my first life-shifting step out of this Jersey girl’s comfort zone.

The experience was life-changing. To this day it informs the work I do and the life I lead.

Living in France and traveling through Europe was not something my family would have suggested for me. It was possibly beyond their imagination or comfort zone. But it was important for me. Something about the international experience thrilled me and offered me a unique opportunity which I had not yet enjoyed when I was young – to experience the world through a personal lens of exploration, discovery, and independence. (Side note: I suspect my mom - despite her initial objections - was secretly cheering me on. In fact, she ultimately made the trip to France. I have stories to share about this mother-daughter experience!)

My college global travel experience set the stage for my early professional experiences which included working for the Berlitz Corporation working with translators from all over the globe. What a thrill it was to work with an international community right after college.

As my career progressed, I went on to earn an MBA in accounting which positioned me for opportunities within the Big 8 (now Big 4) firms, a solid biweekly paycheck, a career path, and my own studio apartment. Eventually I arrived at PwC, and enjoyed a very full and complex 33+ year career there which embraced domestic and globally-focused roles. Professionally speaking, my work and our PwC culture nourished me.

I really couldn’t have known that my early career choices would inform my later career choices, but I can see it clearly now as I contemplate the various twists and turns of my career.

At every step of the way, professionally, I have continually re-launched myself and built upon my prior experiences.

The concept of re-launching oneself is one that can have great power for women. All too often we follow a path because we feel we “should'' or because we are locked into a pattern that leads to staying on a particular track. The “shoulds'' of life are pressures women feel and that often influence, negatively, the choices that we make. I lived these ‘shoulds’ as do my clients.

Uncovering the insights into what lights your personal fire and gives you satisfaction will help you determine what next steps are the right ones to take. I felt the desire for new experiences in my career every few years and seized the open doors. (This was not always easy as it more often than not - maybe always - resulted in not setting proper boundaries which then dominoed into a difficult work-life balance outcome. A story for another article.)

Becoming a Life & Leadership coach, with clients across the globe, has been a natural progression of my life although I could not have foreseen it. One might say I’ve been a relationship builder and coach all of my life in some capacity. The notion of re-launching oneself (always self-reflective, always with insights) is a concept I am coming back to again and again with my clients.

Our professional trajectories are not static, they are dynamic. It’s this dynamism that is personal for each person. My love of building relationships, coaching, consulting, and a global focus informed the roles that I’ve had over the years. I've enjoyed every step of the way, even the challenging steps, because I’ve been open to the potential for new experiences. And I’ve always taken the time to look back and see where I have been and to look forward to see where I might go.

These personal insights have allowed me the ability to take stock of how earlier experiences inform my work today. Every step of the way has added to my experience.

Many women have not yet taken the time to examine their professional (and very personal) paths. I encourage you to consider this opportunity and look for the gifts of insight that come from this process.

Undoubtedly, there are times in our lives when this is easier to do than others, but if you watch for the opportunities, I can almost promise you the experience will be worth the effort.

Consider the following to stimulate your personal insights:

What lights your fire professionally and personally?
What experiences or activities bring you joy and a deep sense of personal engagement?
How do you ensure you carve out time for these experiences?
Have you given yourself time in your life to explore the deeper meaning of your life choices thus far and give thought to what you might move toward in the future?
What thoughts or feelings do these actions elicit in you as you begin thinking about this?

Let’s talk!