Move Your Desk

In this episode, I share what it means to live as an Edge Walker—someone who keeps moving forward without guarantees. I talk about the moments when certainty runs out and all you have is faith, and how I’ve learned to trust my inner compass, even when the map disappears. Through my own stories and reflections, I hope to encourage you if you’re standing at your own edge. You’re not alone—I’m walking this path too, right alongside you and so many others.

Our decisions aren't just about us. We are all connected and it's surprising how often our decision to say we are going to do something can make those in our human orbit feel like they can too. They make our action mean something, and they decide to stand up and take action as well. Is there anyone tied to your decision to say "Yes, I'm stepping forward?"

It's Valentine's Day and it seemed like a good time to share a story about ways of thinking from a children's book. Sometimes a change of thought can completely change our lives quickly. Which direction will that change of thought lead us - toward opportunities or further limitations on ourselves? Mr. Hatch has a lot to teach us on the topic.

There's a skill that is easy to overlook because it quietly allows us the opportunity to express ourselves and feel comfortable without being aware of the reason why. It's a skill worth working on for ourselves and recognizing in others. Find out what my friend Laurel taught me about holding space.

Sometimes we get to lead or manage and other times we get to roll up our sleeves and experience every part of the creation process. And, that includes all of the mistakes and testing along the way.  As I transition from leading to delving into more of the details of creating, I've had my own comedy of errors. These are all part of the process and are exposing atrophied skills and simultaneously providing the opportunity for growth. It's all kind of fun and the end products are still yet to be refined. Join me as I continue on this journey of becoming.

What is bossy? Is it leadership or is it something else? Some think it should be banned or that is is used way too often with women and not enough when describing men. What do you think? Stick with me as I explore some thoughts and feelings I've had about this word the past few years. And, certainly push back on the desk if you have another perspective.

You've got experience and skills. You are a new boss or been tasked to lead a new division. You've got all the answers and now is your chance to change everything that is wrong and make it work. You are here to save the day! Wait, what's wrong with this thinking? Well, somehow it all existed and worked in some way before you got there...at least to some extent. So, have you found out what already works? What doesn't work? Taken some time to question your own assumptions? Let's take a few minutes to learn some insights provided to us by a cat that has been around a very long time. A cat that has a hat and ...often causes a ruckus before he realizes there is another way. Want a weekly Move Your Desk Monday email? - Sign up!

It's your job to lead in every aspect of your life. But, sometimes you forget. Once in a while life teaches us lessons through unexpected experiences. Master Kim taught me some things about leadership just from being straight forward with me about how I was acting around my son. I took it to heart. I used it as an opportunity to remind myself that I needed to show up as a leader in every aspect of life. Just because I've left a full-time leadership job, doesn't mean that I can't show up as a leader somewhere else.

Your current thinking about your capabilities may not help you achieve your goals. But, maybe there are some interim thoughts you can have that will make a difference in making progress toward the results you seek. It's amazing to watch a change of thought in action. Listen in to hear how quickly thought changes can translate into actual performance shifts.

You've gotten this far somehow. Think back, how did each job come your way? How did you connect to that volunteer or entrepreneurial opportunity? Is there a pattern? Probably not. It's surprising how opportunities come our way. If you are in the position of looking for a job, now is a good time to be open and to show up engaged in every part of life. Don't judge or over analyze what will work and won't work. Just take the steps. And, who knows, you may stumble upon possibilities that you never entertained before that will be right for you.

Life can feel like it acts upon us at times, but we are in a position to take charge and start creating the future we want. It doesn't mean that we'll like everything we create. Sometimes we'll even produce pain, fear, and danger for ourselves. But, like Harold and the Purple Crayon, we can be resourceful and get back on track and keep moving toward our destination. It's time to keep our "wits about" us and pick up a crayon!

It's an incredible time to be alive! We've gotten through tough times before. It's just that this time it's impacting the entire world in much of the same ways all at once. Still, whenever there is an increase of the negative there is always an outpouring of opportunity. What will you do with the changes to life that you face right now? What if this is a chance to re-think everything you are doing? Tune in for some reminders from the past. We got through experiences like this in the past. We can get through new experiences now. It's a time to survive and ...thrive!

It's April 2020 at the time of this recording. Learning has changed almost over night for quite a few people. For some of us, it is business as usual because we've been involved in the online learning world for a while. It's important to remember this - you can learn how to navigate in this world of technology. And, you must learn it to remain relevant in the world of work. Regardless of your role - help desk, learning technologist, manager, leader, teacher, or parent - this is now a required skill to succeed going forward. Though I used the phrase "learning emergencies" in the past to describe situations where we blew learning moments out of proportion, it is now relevant to our times. And, no excuses about your age. Find out what my grandfather learned at 93 years old in this episode.

On the journey to change, there are a series of experiences that take place that ultimately transform a person into the person they are seeking to become. In this episode I share where I am on my journey. And, I'm sharing this in the context of the steps that are part of every hero's journey.

Fear will always exist. It's part of life. Yet, some have figured out how to move forward courageously despite their fears. And, sometimes completely overcome some fears through the exercising of the courage on a regular basis. This episode uses the basis of a children's book, called DJ's Off-Road Adventures as the basis of sharing about three people that helped me learn more about courage in the summer of 1994. Thank you to Katharine, Bill, and Tall Mark for setting an example of living courageously and viewing life as one big adventure. I have come far from those experiences, but am discovering new areas of fear that must be approached with the courage to adventure.

Though this show is all about preparing to move forward with your work, there are moments where hesitating is necessary. Sometimes you leap, sometimes you hesitate. But, how do you know when? Practice, mistakes, and acknowledging that sometimes you are just lucky/unlucky. But, even in uncontrollable moments you can gain insights that help inform the next set of decision making opportunities.

As humans, we love to compare ourselves to others. Sometimes this serves us. Sometimes this doesn't. It can help us gauge our progress on our desires or goals. Or, it can prevent us from even getting in the game. It's worth paying attention to where our tendencies to compare lead us. And, do something about it.

Are you prejudice? Most of us think we are not. Maybe it would help to turn off the news, talk to someone different than yourself and discover what's going on in your head and in theirs. I made some mistakes recently. And, learned a few things about myself. Things I didn't even realize about what's going on inside of me. This episode is slightly different. I chose to share a personal journal entry I wrote after an emotional week of learning about my defaults and prejudices.

In March 2020, I graduated from The Life Coach School as a certified life coach. I planned to officially announce that fact through a podcast. But, it didn't feel right. I was still uncomfortable with this new title. So, I took some time to explore what a coach meant to me and if I truly wanted to become one. That was around episode 40 of my podcast. This is episode 60. It took that amount of time to work through some challenges with my beliefs surrounding my work. But, I did the mind work. I started getting coached each week. I started coaching individuals and groups. I started to see my thinking shift. Now I'm ready to say it with full confidence that this is the work I'm meant to do. My name is Rebecca Clark. I am a life coach that helps you follow that deep desire you have to step into your best work. If you are ready, let's talk.

How often do you take the time to write a note to thank others or express gratitude? A note may keep an exceptional employee from leaving an organization. The act of writing a note may change your life. Listen to this podcast to find out examples of both and more. Check out show notes and script at http://www.moveyourdesk.com