Spring Reset: Imagining What Else Could Be.
Every now and then, a question comes along that makes me stop, draw a deep breath, and think, 'Wow!'
This week, it came from Dr Jen Frahm who asked her network:
"Knowing what you know about me, what career would you see me doing that I’m not doing now?"
The responses she received were fascinating, but what struck me was her reflection that the real magic wasn’t in the job titles, it was in the why. The conversations gave her a mirror into how others see her strengths, quirks, and presence.
Of course, being a curious cat, I had to try it too. I asked my LinkedIn network, and the answers came flooding in, rapid-fire. They ranged from “cooking show legend” and “7-star B&B host” to “regional policy adviser” and “diplomat.”
Others imagined me as:
A bespoke travel advisor, creating experiences that change lives
An organic vegetable grower and writer (which made me laugh — it’s basically my life already)
A Mayor (not on my wish list, though apparently I’d be “fair, trustworthy, and brave”)
A lobbyist for the right cause
Someone running a dog-loving business, with the dogs as greeters at the 7-star B&B
Some made me smile, some made my toes tingle, and all of them gave me pause. Because what mattered wasn’t the job titles themselves. It was the reasoning behind them.
When one friend explained that I was a “corporate trainer with a difference” by saying, “Your constructive and humanistic approach is what makes you legendary,” I had to sit with that. It reminded me of qualities I sometimes overlook in myself.
This feels like the right time of year to ask yourself (and maybe others) the same question. Spring has a way of inviting us to reset, to shake off old limits.
If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what else could you imagine yourself doing - or BEING?
And if you asked the people who know you best, what would they say, and why?
Sometimes the answers are playful. Sometimes they’re confronting. But they are always revealing.
It’s easy to get caught in the identity of the work we’ve built. Asking questions like this can liberate us. It reminds us that we’re more than our job titles, and that others often see strengths we don’t.
So this week, I encourage you to sit with the question: What else could I be doing?
And even more importantly, what do others see in me that I might not see in myself?
It might surprise you. It might spark new ideas. And it might be just the reset you need for Spring (or the Autumn/Fall if you're one of my overseas readers).
