Interview with Kerri Christopher
Does the thought of working 40 hours a week at the same place for decades sound unappealing? Here’s your permission slip to say so out loud! In this installment of our Thriving at Work series, life coach Kerri Christopher from Clarity Life Consulting acknowledges that “having it all” is exhausting, explains what a “portfolio life” looks like, and challenges the notion that a successful career equals a successful life. She also shares tips for discerning what path your work life should take, and offers free resources to help. If the pressure to “climb the ladder” has been too heavy, breathe a sigh of relief and listen to Kerri’s refreshing perspective.
The Lie of ‘Having it All’
“Having it all” may sound nice, but in reality it can place pressure on people, especially women, to extend themselves beyond a healthy capacity. “Having it all” actually becomes doing it all—an impossible task for anyone.
“For many women and probably men too, there is this often unspoken societal pressure to do all the things, but most women are really tired out it,” Kerri told Know Why. “And it’s ok to say, ‘That version of life is not for me.’”
How do we avoid the trap of keeping up with the pressure to “have it all?” Kerri said we should practice discernment to decide what things in life are worth focusing on. There are many ways to discern the appropriate path for one’s life, including prayer, journaling, and self-reflection. Kerri offers a free journaling workshop to help with this effort.
Work vs. Career
When discerning one’s path, it’s key to keep in mind that work doesn’t equal career—and not everyone has to have or desire a “traditional” 40-hour/week career. Different seasons of life can lend themselves to different pursuits and even different levels of productivity, and that’s ok.
“For many women and probably men too, there is this often unspoken societal pressure to do all the things, but most women are really tired out by it.”
Kerri Christopher
Clarity Life Consulting
“Lots of people have varied interests and they don’t want to be defined by one particular line of work,” Kerri told Know Why. “They want the chance to do different things throughout their lives, or the different seasons of their lives.”
Stepping outside of the career mindset means acknowledging that there is more to life than one’s job title. In fact, the impact a person has outside of their career is what’s most valuable from an eternal perspective. “I think somewhere along the way we picked up a cultural message that a successful career is a successful life, and a lack of career or unsuccessful career is a failure of life, and nothing could be farther from the truth,” Kerri said.
It’s ok for our lives to be divided up into seasons or chapters, and it’s ok for our desires and interests to change and evolve overtime to best fit the season we’re in.
Ultimately, Kerri says we should ask our Creator for guidance regarding the best path for our individual gifts and talents, even if it differs from cultural expectations surrounding career and success.
Additional Resources
- Leaning (In and) Out, (Not) Having it All — Read the article that inspired this episode: Kerri’s take on work-life balance and living outside the box
- Free Journaling for Discernment Workshop from Clarity Life Consulting
- Clarity Life Consulting From a Christian Perspective