The Elusive Career Path. Spotlight on Health.

As a career coach, I have the unique opportunity to meet with all types of people in a variety of careers; from human resources and finance, to writing, painting, boxing, gardening, engineering, sales, marketing and more.

And on occasion, after spending time with a client, I find that my services aren’t really the primary need in their life. That, in fact, my clients are challenged by something else that is taking over. Sometimes they are aware and sometimes they aren’t. While doing the assessment portion of my program, we realize that as long as this other challenge exists, career coaching can't help in it's full capacity. There has to be an understanding of how all aspects of our well-being influence each other.

So, I created the Collaborative Partners group for the purpose of providing clients additional resources in order to move forward in all areas of life.

Over the next few months I am going to spotlight one of our partners to create awareness about those elusive "blocks" in conjunction with your career goals. Today, I am introducing Shannon Harris, Fitness and Rehabilitation Specialist. One thing that I took away from her thoughts that is absolutely critical when strategizing your career path is clarity, looking at fitness from a neuro-minded perspective. I hope this inspires you in some way. And if this speaks to you, get in touch. Have a great Friday.

1. Tell me a little about you and why you decided to do this type of work?

After many personal struggles with fitness and health, I realized that I had a passion for helping others live a robust life through better movement, reduced pain, and an enthusiasm for being active. I pursued a B.S. in Exercise Science while exploring additional education in nutrition, geriatrics, athletic coaching, and neuroscience. My personal background and early career in dance taught me to value taking care of our bodies and gain a deep understanding of rehabilitation. My passion for running and triathlon was fueled by a desire to find out what the body what capable of independent from what it looks like. My work in skilled-nursing facilities developed my desire to teach a healthy and joyful approach to enjoying every decade of our lives with limited restrictions and increasing physical freedoms.

2. What is one of the personal joys you get from working with your clients?

I am so fulfilled by the excitement a client finds in seeing their personal growth and progress, especially when they have been up against struggles that previously led them to think that improvement wasn't an option. Taking a neurological approach to fitness and movement opens people's eyes to a whole other way of perceiving their health and capacity and witness this mental and physical transformation is a gift to me every time.

3. How can the service you provide help someone who might be struggling with their career?

Taking ownership of your health ties very closely into taking charge in moving toward your career goals. And the brain-based model of fitness training is completely tied in to our minds functioning with greater clarity as well as our bodies. In addition to working with individuals and groups on their personal fitness and health goals, I have also spent over a decade leading certification programs in fitness and Pilates. This was so exciting to mentor hundreds of people as they turned their passions and interests into careers and it gave me motivation to coach the whole businessperson not just the fitness professional. Many students of mine knew what they needed to learn to be a good trainer, but had no ideas of what goes in to career change, building a business, and finding balance within a career's rollercoaster. Adding this element to our training process gives me the great privilege of now knowing trainers and business owners across the country who made the successful transition to enthusiast to successful business owner and life-changer.

4. From your professional experience, what is one step a person can take to help them get moving on their path?

Be clear. Know exactly what you are wanting to accomplish, often our true goal is buried a little deeper than we initially believe. Once you have clarity, find very small steps and micro-goals along the way so you can stay motivated and on track to keep pursuing the next small milestone while keeping an eye on the big picture.

In Health,

Shannon

e: Shannon@Neurominded.com